Rating: 7 of 10
A near-perfect horror-comedy that will make you laugh out loud then gnaw off your fingernails in nervous anticipation as the tension ratchets back up again.
Synopsis: “Kylie Bucknell is forced to return to the house she grew up in when the court places her on home detention. Her punishment is made all the more unbearable by the fact she has to live there with her mother Miriam – a well-intentioned blabbermouth who’s convinced that the house is haunted. Kylie dismisses Miriam’s superstitions as nothing more than a distraction from a life occupied by boiled vegetables & small-town gossip. However, when she too becomes privy to unsettling whispers & strange bumps in the night, she begins to wonder whether she’s inherited her overactive imagination, or if the house is in fact possessed by a hostile spirit who’s not particularly thrilled about her return.” (source)
From the opening scene with Kylie and her boyfriend attempting to rob an ATM machine, I knew I was going to love this movie. The key, I think, is that neither the horror nor the comedy tries to be “scary” or “funny”; it just is. Kylie annoyed me at first. I kept saying to myself if I were her mother, I wouldn’t take that crap. Once Kylie investigates the noise in the basement, I was on her side. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a smart ass and never completely loses her caustic attitude, but I warmed to her quicker than I expected. Amos nearly stole the movie, though. Amos in those pajamas; Amos slapping sense into Kylie; Amos in stealth mode outside the neighbor’s house.
Be warned there is one super creepy, nightmare-inducing talking toy. Similar to Teddy Ruxpin but worse! Gives me the shivers just thinking about it.
Highly recommended if you enjoyed movies like TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL or PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS.
Check out HOUSEBOUND’s official website and trailer | on IMDb
(Watched on Netflix 3/3/2015)
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