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Director Eli Roth is known for his dark and twisted horror movies—like Hostel and Cabin Fever. But for his latest film, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, he steps away from his usual R-rated horror to create a dark and creepy PG-rated fantasy for kids.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls begins with tragedy. After his parents are killed in an accident, Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) moves to Michigan, to live with his uncle, Jonathan (Jack Black), whom he’s never met. He soon realizes that there’s something strange and eerie and magical about Uncle Jonathan and his old house—but he doesn’t know that the house holds a dark secret. Once he discovers that his uncle is a warlock—and his neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), is a witch—Lewis begs to learn magic. But no training can prepare him for what’s hidden in the walls.
Adapted from the 1973 novel by John Bellairs and geared toward kids (albeit kids who aren’t prone to nightmares), The House with a Clock in Its Walls is definitely a change of pace for a director who’s known for grown-up violence and gore. In fact, it starts out as playfully as you might expect from a kids’ movie starring Jack Black. Upon Lewis’s arrival in town, he meets both his eccentric uncle and the purple-clad Mrs. Zimmerman, who have a wonderfully and amusingly combative relationship. And despite the mysterious danger that lurks within the house, viewers will be delighted (and perhaps distracted) by the charming characters and their relationships.
But don’t be fooled by the good humor and magical pooping topiaries of the beginning of the film—because it doesn’t last. As the adults around him continue their bickering, Lewis struggles with loss and loneliness, and he tries desperately to make friends at his new school. And, as is usually the case, his need to fit in causes things to go horribly wrong. Here is where things go from eerie and amusing to nightmare-inducing—from squabbling adults who use their magic for good to blood magic and raising the dead and dark deals with demons. And while it still has a few touches of humor along the way, it quickly turns terrifying.
The story of the clock, however, doesn’t always make sense. Its purpose and its history leave some nagging unanswered questions. But despite the film’s uneven tone and its rather unsurprising adventures, it’s still imaginative and scary.
With its lovable young star and its quirky characters, The House with a Clock in Its Walls may look like a light and eerie kids’ movie, but it’s darker and more frightening than you might expect. You should probably leave the little ones at home, but it’s an entertaining choice for some spooky viewing with your more daring kids.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
