The man behind that scene in Hostel in which a tortured woman’s dangling eyeball is snipped off in an explosion of blood and pus is releasing a film that your kids can go and see. The movie in question is The House with a Clock in Its Walls and, despite that terrible title, it could be a very enjoyable family scarefest.
Trailers for the movie suggest an enjoyable ride, marrying stylish scares with a fantasy romp. Viewers should have their fingers crossed that it’s more akin to the aforementioned Goosebumps than Tim Burton’s desperately poor Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which stunk out cinemas back in 2016 with its family-friendly horror/fantasy hybrid tone. Burton’s movie was at its best when it embraced the darkness in its third act, so Roth’s movie would be wise to follow that lead.
The most interesting element of this isn’t seeing whether Roth can craft a scary film; that’s something he has already proved as a hugely successful genre filmmaker, whether in the now rather troubling torture porn era he helped create with the Hostel series or in his later material like The Green Inferno and Knock Knock. These are divisive movies, but they are certainly films that appear to work for their target audience. The interesting thing about The House with a Clock in Its Walls will be seeing whether Roth’s oeuvre can exist without gallons of fake blood and flayed skin.
Part of me was expecting Eli Roth to tone down the weird a bit given his discography so far but The House... does anything but that with some disturbing moments scattered across a few little glimpses of horror too that feels strangely accessible to a wide audience.
Don't get me wrong though when I say The House... is weird though because it is a movie that chooses the right times to get really weird and runs with it. Later on in the movie there are parts where you really won't expect the movie to go where it goes but by then it is quite captivating thanks to a plot that seems quite simple on the surface but has a really nice set of variables to keep it interesting. The fun thing is that everything still keeps a sense of delightful charm and intrigue because of this strange house and all of its oddities, yet when Roth decides to turn up the weird he really runs with it in ways you won't expect.
The only thing that bothered me more than anything though was how heavy handed the exposition is and how the movie occasionally reads the story back basically to the viewer. It makes the movie quite accessible to a wide audience at least but it occasionally uses that mechanism of talking out a scenario or a party of the story so clearly when you've worked it out for yourself that it can occasionally feel a bit unnecessary. Nothing gets overly affected by that but it can sometimes be distracting.
It remains a really nice surprise of a movie though that I felt Eli Roth has done a really good job with that I hope doesn't go under the radar.
Trailers for the movie suggest an enjoyable ride, marrying stylish scares with a fantasy romp. Viewers should have their fingers crossed that it’s more akin to the aforementioned Goosebumps than Tim Burton’s desperately poor Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which stunk out cinemas back in 2016 with its family-friendly horror/fantasy hybrid tone. Burton’s movie was at its best when it embraced the darkness in its third act, so Roth’s movie would be wise to follow that lead.
The most interesting element of this isn’t seeing whether Roth can craft a scary film; that’s something he has already proved as a hugely successful genre filmmaker, whether in the now rather troubling torture porn era he helped create with the Hostel series or in his later material like The Green Inferno and Knock Knock. These are divisive movies, but they are certainly films that appear to work for their target audience. The interesting thing about The House with a Clock in Its Walls will be seeing whether Roth’s oeuvre can exist without gallons of fake blood and flayed skin.
VultureHound
Part of me was expecting Eli Roth to tone down the weird a bit given his discography so far but The House... does anything but that with some disturbing moments scattered across a few little glimpses of horror too that feels strangely accessible to a wide audience.
Don't get me wrong though when I say The House... is weird though because it is a movie that chooses the right times to get really weird and runs with it. Later on in the movie there are parts where you really won't expect the movie to go where it goes but by then it is quite captivating thanks to a plot that seems quite simple on the surface but has a really nice set of variables to keep it interesting. The fun thing is that everything still keeps a sense of delightful charm and intrigue because of this strange house and all of its oddities, yet when Roth decides to turn up the weird he really runs with it in ways you won't expect.
The only thing that bothered me more than anything though was how heavy handed the exposition is and how the movie occasionally reads the story back basically to the viewer. It makes the movie quite accessible to a wide audience at least but it occasionally uses that mechanism of talking out a scenario or a party of the story so clearly when you've worked it out for yourself that it can occasionally feel a bit unnecessary. Nothing gets overly affected by that but it can sometimes be distracting.
It remains a really nice surprise of a movie though that I felt Eli Roth has done a really good job with that I hope doesn't go under the radar.
Luke McCarthy-Reed
This may be a kid’s movie and it does have a story that is geared towards a younger audience, but it isn’t for the sensitive viewers, or at least, kids who scare easily. Directed by Eli Roth (Death Wish), there are several sequences that steer towards horror territory with some genuinely creepy moments, ranging from blood rituals to the raising of the dead.
But luckily, there’s more than enough humour to lighten things up and balance the light and dark, with some genuinely funny moments and banter between Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman. It doesn’t seem out of place or forced and adds a little more to the film.
With the movie surrounding wizardry, there are a lot of effects to bring this world to life, from the beautiful to the scary. There’s some inspired ideas such as the dog-like chair and the morphing window. It does bring to mind similar effects in other movies such as Harry Potter, but they work just as well.
Overall, this is a great family film with something for everyone. The casting is spot on with some very likable characters. It may not be suitable for every kid, so checking it out before they see it advised. This is a great adaptation of a much beloved classic and sure to kick start a series of adaptations. From
Andrew Siddall
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