Housebound

This film is not scary, it's not funny, it's not enjoyable in any way and it takes itself way to seriously for how idiotic it is. Many scenes in it feel like they were written for juvenile audience, but then the film tries to hold on to this thematic connection to an actual horror film which turns it into such a jumbled up mess that it's guarantied that no one will enjoy it. I would name a few of the annoyingly nonsensical scenes here, but then I would have to label this review as containing spoilers and that might make it less likely to save unsuspecting IMDb users from being tricked into wasting their time on this turkey (although maybe that would be a good thing if they then came back here and took down the score a bit). All I want to say is that I have never seen such an obvious example of a compromised message board as here on IMDb for this film. With how not scary, unfunny and boring this film is there is no way that it gets so many glowing reviews, unless you have a hoard of people with some invested interest bombarding the message board. Just don't watch it.

Very confused at the high ratings...there is absolutely nothing original about the story and how its directed...it does painstakingly make attempts at humor that truly falls flat mainly because Morgana O'Reilly is just horrible in this mess...as for horror I am not sure what was horrific other than the standard bumps and creaks and noises and doors opening by themselves.... If you want to watch a nearly 30 year old Woman chain smoke, act like a 14 year old with a snotty attitude and dark snarky moods employing the F word when challenged....THIS is your movie...there is absolutely nothing interesting about the performances in this movie...there is indeed the odd witty retort coming from Kylie's very fastidious Mother but other than that...there is no real humor and using the last part of the show to get the gratuitous blood scenes in does not a horror movie make....the most interesting aspect of this movie are the rare glimpses of the Kiwi Countryside and I have to admit a New Zealand accent is interesting to listen to.....I watch a lot of classic horror and this is one the most boring and over-hyped I have ever seen...how Peter Jackson approved of this is beyond me...maybe he felt an obligation....

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source: Housebound

Kylie Renee Bucknell (Morgana O'Reilly) bungles an ATM robbery and gets sentenced to eight months of house arrest in her mother Miriam's (Rima Te Wiata) home. She lives there with Graeme (Ross Harper) a quiet creepy man. She has an ankle bracelet that prevents her from leaving. Mom is convinced the house is haunted and it isn't long before Kylie joins her in the belief dragging in Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) of Titan security. At 43 minutes into the film, we discover the true story about the house and former occupants. The film is 111 minutes long, taking time enough to weave a tale and introduce characters late. The movie is in part a comedy, but there are many scenes which have no humor. The opening scene made me laugh. It is a film worth viewing and one I that I will toss into my keeper pile. Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity. Blood squirting.

I was so skeptical of this movie. I'd just seen two bad scary movies in a row and this was another unknown. The movie starts with a misguided, angry, petulant teenager that gets sentenced to 8 months house arrest. Almost immediately she starts witnessing some paranormal events. It was at this point that I began to get annoyed and disinterested. "Here we go. Another generic ghost/poltergeist movie." I hung in there and I am so glad I did. This movie was such a delightful surprise. There was some great misdirection of a unique kind and some excellent humor. The story was nicely woven. I don't want to give anything away but I want to really emphasize how good the plot and plot twists were. Nothing was telegraphed and nor was it done in Shayamalanian fashion where there was a twist for twist sake. It was seamless and very naturally done. Coupled with the story this movie expertly balanced humor with fright. It was such that at times I didn't know if it was a legitimate horror movie or a comedy. In the end it was both and it was spectacular.

After a bungled attempt at robbing an ATM, wayward Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O'Reilly) finds herself sentenced to 8 months detention at her mother's house, a high-tech ankle bracelet raising the alarm if she should stray too far. Her childhood home is a creepy old building that her mother Miriam (Rima Te Wiata) believes to be haunted, and Kylie starts to think the same way after experiencing several inexplicable occurrences. The truth, however, is far stranger than a simple case of disgruntled ghosts: as Kylie investigates, with a little help from security man Amos ( Glen-Paul Waru), she unravels a decades old mystery surrounding an unsolved murder. Kiwi comedy/horror Housebound was recommended to me by my colleague Helen, to whom I'm very grateful: it's scary, funny, and utterly demented, with a plot that constantly surprises, starting off in a seemingly supernatural vein but evolving into something altogether different by the end. It takes a lot for a movie to make me jump in fright, or laugh out loud, but Housebound managed both several times, with effective scares and wonderfully quirky Kiwi humour throughout (best moment: "Jesus!"—trust me, it's hilarious!). There's even a touch of splattery gore for good measure. Writer/director Gerard Johnstone is definitely a talent to keep an eye on.

Just a fantastic film, it really works on every level. It's also hard to define, because it moves so smoothly between the genres. Relatively speaking, some parts have a Tim Burton-feel to them, while others are more mystery/horror moments a la The Conjuring, but it never takes itself to seriously, which is why it all works so well. The humor is more subtle, but it's kind of like Shaun of the Dead. Both Rima Te Wiata and Morgana O'Reilly deliever strong performances. And it's fun to see how their intricate relationship develops throughout the film. O'Reilly in particular brings a lot to her role, especially in the way she interacts with the other actors, which is where most of the comedy happens. Her character is also very interesting, sort of like 'Coraline' in the beginning, when she was bored out of her mind but always curious. She(O'Reilly) is also quite captivating, which doesn't hurt. Never a dull moment. 9/10