AN AMERICAN HAUNTING

Tennessee, 1818. Landowner John Bell incurs the wrath of a neighbouring woman over a property deal. The church elders in their rural village declare that Bell is guilty of loan-sharking and the loss of his good name. To add insult to injury, it’s been whispered that the woman is in league with the devil, and she swears vengeance upon Bell and his family, especially his older daughter Betsy. The girl begins seeing visions of snarling wolves and a ghostly girl. Then, one night Betsy is tormented by an unseen attacker. School teacher Richard, who is also Betsy’s suitor, initially reasons away the supernatural aspect of the attacks, but they become a nightly occurrence that no one can do anything to stop. An American Haunting is based on true events. It was the only time in history that the American government has acknowledged that supernatural forces were responsible for someone’s death. Director Courtney Solomon (Dungeons and Dragons) has adapted Brent Monahan’s 1997 novel The Bell Witch : An American Haunting for the big screen. He uses innovative sound design and classical horror themes to create a contemporary Gothic film that is profoundly disturbing. Donald Sutherland (Mash, Virus, Cold Mountain) and Sissy Spacek (Carrie, Missing, Affliction) head the cast as John and Lucy Bell. Newcomer Rachel Hurd-Wood is cast as the tormented Betsy Bell and James Darcy (Master and Commander, Exorcist : The Beginning) plays local teacher Richard Powell.