The Amityville Curse

The Amityville Curse

Year: 1990

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Tom Berry

HorrorHorror

Returning to the most dangerous house in the world, Debbie and her husband purchase a property in Amityville, New York, and invite three close friends to help with renovations. The house immediately makes Debbie uneasy, and she is haunted by shockingly vivid nightmares that hint at the lingering evil of the infamous residence.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Amityville Curse yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

The Amityville Curse (1990) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of The Amityville Curse (1990), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

In Amityville, New York, the same town where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his family in 1974, The Priest is shot to death in a confession booth inside his parish church. After the murder, the booth is removed and stored in the basement of the clergy house.

Twelve years later, Marvin David Stein and his wife Debbie Dawna Wightman buy the clergy house. The couple invite their three friends: Frank Kim Coates, Bill Anthony Dean Rubeš, and Abigail Cassandra Gava to help renovate. Debbie is immediately perturbed by the house and hears noises emanating from the basement, but Marvin dismisses her concerns. Debbie suffers nightmares revolving around the basement, particularly the confession booth. Marvin urges Debbie to note down her nightmares so he can psychoanalyze them. The next morning, Mrs. Moriarty Helen Hughes, the eccentric former church secretary, pays a visit.

Marvin and Bill investigate the basement, and Bill comes across the confession booth, among other artifacts from the church. After an outbreak of apparent poltergeist activity occurs throughout the house, the group all become convinced the home is haunted, with the exception of Marvin. To calm their nerves, they plan to go out for dinner at a local bar. Frank, suffering a migraine, remains at the house alone. At the tavern, Marvin speaks to two older men regarding the town’s paranormal activities and feels it is nothing but a case of mass hysteria. The men bring up a boy murdering his whole family and possibly being possessed, and implying the house Marvin is currently in is likely possessed. At the same time, Debbie encounters Mrs. Moriarty again in the bathroom, where she obscurely rants and raves about the priest who once lived in the home.

The next day, Mrs. Moriarty again stops by the house, but is confronted by an unseen assailant and thrown down the basement staircase to her death. Her murder is inadvertently recorded on a video camcorder Bill left in the house. Meanwhile, Debbie has a disturbing vision of a man hanging from a tree in the front of the house. Police are summoned after Mrs. Moriarty’s body is found, and a detective tells Marvin about her connection to the house; he also divulges that police identified the murderer of the priest, a local teenage boy, but that he hanged himself before he was apprehended.

Abigail is disturbed by the event and leaves. Marvin begins attempting to decipher Debbie’s dream diaries, which Bill realizes consist of Latin exorcism writing. Meanwhile, Debbie suffers a nightmare in which she witnesses the truth of the priest’s murder: He was shot to death by his illegitimate son, conceived during a sexual tryst with a female parishioner, who sought vengeance for being abandoned. She awakens and searches for Marvin, whom she finds dead in the confession booth in the basement. There, she is confronted by Frank, now possessed by the priest’s illegitimate son. Meanwhile, police investigating Mrs. Moriarty’s murder review the video tape, and are able to identify Frank as the perpetrator based on his shoes, which are caught on tape.

Meanwhile, Frank chases Debbie through the house, during which she disfigures him by burning his face. He continues to pursue her, attempting to impale her with a processional cross. Debbie manages to stop him by shooting at him with a nail gun. Abigail returns and finds Frank, apparently dead, but he reawakens and begins strangling her. Using the processional cross, Debbie stabs Frank through the chest, impaling him to death. Later, Debbie and Abigail are escorted out of the house by police. A detective shows Debbie a photograph of an infant boy—the priest’s illegitimate son—found at the crime scene. He asks if it is hers, to which she responds that it belongs to the house.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:03

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Claustrophobic haunted house movies like The Amityville Curse

Stories where a confined location becomes a trap for spiritual and psychological torment.If you liked the oppressive dread of The Amityville Curse, explore more movies where a house's latent evil torments its inhabitants. These films focus on supernatural horror, psychological unraveling, and a steady build of terror within confined, cursed spaces similar to the infamous Amityville house.

hauntedclaustrophobicdemonicunsettlingnightmarishfearfuloppressive

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a group or family entering a property with a dark history. The evil presence, often demonic or a collection of traumatic echoes, systematically targets the characters. The story unfolds through a series of escalating paranormal events and violent deaths, testing the sanity and survival of those trapped inside.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared setting-as-antagonist premise, a consistently dark tone, and a steady pacing that maintains high tension. They create a cohesive experience of supernatural siege, focusing on atmospheric dread and the psychological breakdown caused by a haunted location.

Movies with a steady build of dread like The Amityville Curse

Films where tension builds relentlessly, chipping away at characters' sanity and safety.Fans of The Amityville Curse's unnerving, steady pace will appreciate these films. Discover similar horror stories that create an anxious, oppressive mood through a relentless accumulation of terrifying events and psychological torment, leaving a lasting sense of fear and unease.

anxiousoppressiveunsettlingnightmarishfearfultenseheavy

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a linear but persistent threat that introduces horrors in a regular succession. There are few respites; the plot moves forward by steadily revealing more about the evil's nature and power. The character journey is one of progressive psychological erosion, as their reality is challenged and their survival becomes increasingly uncertain.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their STEADY pacing and HIGH intensity, which work together to create a deeply anxious and fearful mood. The shared experience is one of sustained tension and a heavy emotional weight, resulting from themes of psychological trauma and graphic violence without comic relief.

Unlock the Full Story of The Amityville Curse

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Amityville Curse in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Amityville Curse is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Amityville Curse Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Amityville Curse with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Amityville Curse Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Amityville Curse

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape The Amityville Curse. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Amityville Curse

The Amityville Curse Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Amityville Curse that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

The Amityville Curse Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Amityville Curse

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Amityville Curse: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About The Amityville Curse