Before he was the Merc with a Mouth or the guy owning a Welsh football club, Ryan Reynolds was a man with an axe in a basement. Seriously. If you only know him for Deadpool or those gin commercials, going back to watch the 2005 remake of The Amityville Horror movie Ryan Reynolds starred in is a total trip. It’s gritty. It’s sweaty. Honestly, it’s a version of him we almost never see anymore—unhinged and genuinely terrifying.
People usually forget this movie exists when they talk about his career. They shouldn’t.
It was 2005. Reynolds was coming off Blade: Trinity and was still mostly "that guy from Van Wilder." Nobody expected him to play George Lutz, the family man who loses his mind in a house on Long Island. But he did. And he went all in. He didn't just play "scared." He played "volatile."
The Weird Stuff That Actually Happened on Set
You can’t talk about this movie without the "curse" stories. Every horror remake has them, right? Usually, it’s just PR fluff. But on the set of the The Amityville Horror movie Ryan Reynolds headlined, things got legitimately weird.
For starters, a dead body literally washed up on shore near the boathouse where they were filming. I’m not joking. A real person’s body floated up during production in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. The police had to come, the set was a mess, and the vibe was instantly ruined. Reynolds later said it wasn’t some "mafia hit," but a legitimate accident. Still, imagine trying to film a horror scene and a real corpse shows up for a cameo.
Then there was the 3:15 AM thing.
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In the movie, 3:15 AM is the time the original DeFeo murders happened. It's when the house "wakes up." Well, a huge chunk of the cast and crew—Reynolds included—kept waking up at exactly 3:15 AM every single night. No alarms. No reason. Just wide awake at the "witching hour."
Is it a spooky haunting? Probably just collective psychological stress. But it definitely helped Reynolds look like a guy who hadn't slept in a month.
Ryan Reynolds vs. The Kids: Method Acting Gone Wrong?
Reynolds decided to go full "Method" for this. To play a guy who is slowly growing to hate his family, he basically stopped talking to the child actors. He ignored them. He was, by his own admission, "an asshole" on set. He didn't want to bond with Jesse James or Chloë Grace Moretz (who was making her debut, by the way).
He wanted to stay in that headspace of rage.
It worked. There’s a scene where George is chopping wood and his son is nearby. Reynolds got so into the moment that he actually slapped the kid. It wasn't in the script. The script supervisor started crying. Reynolds was horrified afterward, but the kid—Jesse James—was apparently stoked because it felt "real."
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The Physicality of George Lutz
Reynolds didn't want to be the "pretty boy" here. He had just bulked up for Blade, and he kept that weight to look like a "big bear." He wanted the audience to feel that if this guy snapped, he could actually kill everyone in the house.
He wore bloodshot contacts. He was constantly shirtless and covered in sweat or rain. Director Andrew Douglas was actually worried Reynolds was too handsome at first. He thought the audience wouldn't buy him as a struggling contractor. But once Reynolds started doing that unpredictable, abstract rage? Douglas was sold. It was less like a slasher and more like a psychological breakdown.
What the Remake Got Right (and Wrong)
If you compare the The Amityville Horror movie Ryan Reynolds stars in to the 1979 original, they are different beasts. The 1979 version is a slow burn. It’s about a house that feels like a character.
The 2005 version? It’s a Michael Bay production (through Platinum Dunes). That means it’s loud. It’s fast. It’s got jump scares that hit like a freight train.
- The House: They couldn't film at the real 112 Ocean Avenue. They used a house in Salem, Wisconsin, and spent $60,000 just to add those iconic "evil eye" windows.
- The Plot: They added a bunch of stuff that never happened in the book or the "true" story. Captive Native Americans in the basement? Nope. George Lutz chasing his family on the roof with a shotgun? Never happened.
- The Real George Lutz: The real George was still alive when this was being made. He hated it. He actually tried to sue the filmmakers because the movie made him look like a dog-killer and a child abuser.
The film isn't a biography. It's a "greatest hits" of horror tropes from 1980 to 2005. You see shades of The Shining, The Ring, and Poltergeist all mixed together.
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Why It’s Worth a Rewatch Today
Honestly, the The Amityville Horror movie Ryan Reynolds made is better than critics gave it credit for at the time. Sure, it’s got some dated CGI ghosts. Yes, the jump scares are a bit much. But Reynolds’ performance is genuinely chilling. He captures that specific kind of "dad rage" that feels way more grounded than a floating ghost.
It’s also fascinating to see Chloë Grace Moretz at age seven. You can see the talent even then.
If you're looking for a movie that actually tries to be a faithful recreation of the Lutz's claims, this isn't it. But if you want a high-octane, sweaty, 2000s horror flick with a future superstar giving 110%, it’s a blast. It grossed over $108 million on a $19 million budget, so clearly, people wanted to see Ryan Reynolds lose his mind.
Actionable Insights for Horror Fans
- Watch for the subtle stuff: Pay attention to the background of the shots. Andrew Douglas hid things in the shadows that you might miss on a first watch.
- Check out the real history: If the "true story" aspect interests you, look into the 1974 DeFeo murders. That part is, unfortunately, very real. The haunting stuff is where the debate starts.
- Skip the sequels: There are roughly 800 Amityville movies now (mostly low-budget stuff that has nothing to do with the original). Stick to the '79 original and the '05 remake if you want the "real" story beats.
The 2005 remake remains the last time Reynolds really leaned into pure, dark horror. After this, he moved into Buried (more of a thriller) and The Voices (a dark comedy). It’s a unique piece of his filmography that shows a side of his acting range that usually gets buried under his comedic persona.
Next time you’re scrolling through a streaming service on a Friday night, give it a go. Just maybe don't set your alarm for 3:15 AM.