The House with a Clock in its Walls

Despite its goofy plot and bad acting, this spooky little movie could very well develop a cult following someday from those who were kids when they first saw it. And it’s understandable why it would: it’s a twistedly magical piece of family entertainment with a teeny tiny house that erupts in surrealism. Moving into this house is an orphan, Lewis, who must embrace the concept of being the family’s black swan as he lives with his uncle (Jack Black) and neighbor (Cate Blanchett), forming what resembles a mock-Addams family. Outside their front porch, jack-o-lanterns adorn the scene, inside the moonlit walls, the tick-tock sound of a clock is heard, and when the climax hits, the blood-red tint of a lunar eclipse takes over. Everything about the aesthetic of this little fantasy world just screams Halloween.
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As far as the humor goes, Jack Black pulls out a saxophone solo that makes dogs howl and his sentient griffin bush cover its ears, then that same griffin bush, like a family cat, poops in the backyard pond against the uncle’s orders. These little funny bits help balance out the unsettling atmosphere while sustaining that edginess to make kids watching feel like they’re in Lewis’s place; in turn, those kids and kids-at-heart who feel a little weird within their own families could potentially resonate with Lewis. So while The House with a Clock in its Walls isn’t perfect, it’s perfect for Halloween!

PG (DL)
Comedy/Fantasy
1 hr. 44 min.

Watch it for FUN.
​Watch it to feel HAPPY and AFRAID.