Director: Gerard Johnstone
Starring: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata
My Rating: Loved It!
I loved Housebound. It starts out as one type of movie and ends up a completely different one, all the while remaining consistently hilarious throughout. I can't say I've seen many comedies this year, but this is the hardest and most I've laughed at a movie all year; and it's not even a flat-out comedy, it's a comedy, horror, mystery, thriller!
It's about a young woman who gets arrested for trying to steal the money out of an ATM. Instead of going to prison, the judge sentences her to house arrest with her mom and step dad. The mom has always thought that their house has had supernatural happenings, and once the daughter is there for house arrest, she begins to experience them too. After a bit of research she learns the dark past of the house. Now, I should stress this, that plot is simply a set-up for something much, much grander.
Housebound finds a great balance between taking itself seriously and being loveably goofy throughout the whole duration. There are moments of great suspense followed by things like a Bruce Campbell-esque moment where the main character is choking out a teddy bear. It's very goofy, yet it still manages to be taken seriously because the characters really are scared in their situation, and it's acted to a tee.
It changes genres like flipping a switch, and the story twists and turns more than a long mountain road, yet it still is able to maintain a consistently eerie air in the atmosphere throughout. It's a wild, fun, hilarious, and bloody ride. I highly recommend it.