Subtlety can make or break a horror film. Small changes in sound and atmosphere can have ominous effects for the audience, and many of the scariest films in motion picture history, ranging from “The Shining” to “Psycho,” have capitalized on this theory.

Unfortunately, “The Amityville Horror” isn’t one for subtlety.

This remake of the 1979 film finds the Lutz family besieged by a supernatural force in their new home. The account is supposedly based on a true story, or so the opening credits say.

Ryan Reynolds plays George Lutz, a building contractor who tries to start a new life with his wife Kathy (Melissa George), while her younger children Billy, Michael and Chelsea adjust to George’s presence and still mourning the loss of their father.

The Lutz family moves into a beautiful house known as High Hopes, where one year ago the Defeo family was brutally murdered. Every night, at precisely 3:15 a.m., strange happenings envelope the Lutz family members. The youngest child, Chelsea, encounters Jodie Defeo, while a supernatural influence has a sinister effect on George.

The movie relies on cheap thrills all the way through, and “Amityville” can be a bit frightening at times. Since the main setting of the film is also the antagonist, there are very few moments where the characters are actually safe.

The plot becomes intensely convoluted. As Kathy searches for the truth behind High Hopes, George sinks deeper and deeper in madness. Ryan Reynolds has just enough intensity to play the role, but his character is so poorly written that it doesn’t really matter.

While the beginning of the film started somewhere between “The Exorcist” and “Poltergeist,” it ends somewhere between “Pet Cemetery” and “Thir13en Ghosts.” When the movie tries to emulate “Jacob’s Ladder,” the result resembles a poorly stitched together music video.

Eventually, the movie becomes so riddled with plot holes that I said aloud, “I don’t care.” The movie’s ending is filled with a few shining moments of clarity that are quickly drowned out by faux Burton-esque humor that comes out of nowhere and accomplishes absolutely nothing.

The past 20 years have cast doubt on George Lutz’s account of the haunting of High Hopes. However, the filmmakers treat the allegations of a hoax as a license for creative liberties. It’s no surprise the real life George Lutz has almost entirely divorced himself from this film.

“The Amityville Horror” is a disposable rental at best. It has a few great moments where things pop out at the audience, but nothing truly suspenseful.