THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS Review — Winston Says It’s Scary But Not Too Scary
The House with a Clock in Its Walls Review — Full of magic creatures and full on frights
The House with a Clock in Its Walls surpassed my expectations. The trailer made me expect it to be more aimed at little kids, and be more dumbed down than it turned out to be. It was also scarier than I thought it would be, and that’s good!
In 1955, a newly orphaned boy named Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) goes to live with his eccentric Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) in a house once controlled by a dark wizard (Kyle MacLachlan). Lewis meets his uncle’s next-door neighbor Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), and finds out his uncle is a warlock and Florence is a witch. He learns magic from his uncle Jonathan, and eventually has to solve a dangerous mystery about the house.
Eli Roth directed, and he is known for making really violent horror films for grownups like the Hostel franchise. That is maybe why the peril in The House with a Clock in Its Walls is more convincing than in most kids’ movies. There was one scene where they were fighting evil pumpkins and it was scarier than anything in Goosebumps. Even the makeup is scary.
If you were lucky enough to see Broadway’s Hamilton, or even a part of it on TV, do you remember who played Angelica? Well, it’s Renée Elise Goldsberry, and she plays a small role in The House with a Clock in Its Walls. She’s really effective as an evil witch.
Speaking of effective witches, I like that Blanchett’s Florence is smart. Her squabbles with Jonathan are witty. At one point, he says, “I’d give you a nasty face, but you already have one.”
Then there’s the living chair and hedge gryphon—they’re some of my favorite magical creatures in the movie because the chair is so cute and helpful, and the gryphon keeps pooping out leaves onto people.
Even though House with a Clock has its scary moments, it still is a four-star film.
If this The House with a Clock in Its Walls review made you want to see it, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.
Rated PG
1 Hour 44 Minutes
The House with a Clock in Its Walls Review — Full of magic creatures and full on frights
