The House (III) (2022) User Reviews

A Visual Labyrinth: Perfect Mix of Lynch-Svankmajer-Kafkaesque Atmosphere

[samxxxul · 7/10 · 15 January 2022]

I just finished my first 2022 title, and it was hypnotically weird "The House" streaming on Netflix and produced by Nexus Studios, i can't recommend it enough. It is wildly ambitious triptych, which uses stop motion animation to explore peculiar inhabitants in a house through different periods of time and worlds. All the stories take place at the same house, across different eras exploring the theme of home, capitalism, existential crisis, dreams and emptiness as the living are reduced to inanimate entities.

In Emma de Swaef & Marc James Roels opening act, "And Heard Within. A Lie Is Spun," it is a gothic tale with all the classic haunted house genre troupes. We follow the Raymond family who abandon their modest lifestyle and relocate to a luxurious mansion nearby, it belongs to Van Schoonbeek, a mysterious and faceless architect. What follows is the supernatural drama which is developed in a very interesting labyrinth like narrative. There are so many moments but everything is presented with an indispensable horror subtext. Even the furniture and the mundanity of Raymond family does accentuate the atmosphere of the film. It is normal but disturbing with eerie soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla. My pick and my favourite in this three-part anthological film.

The second chapter, directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr's is titled "Then Lost is Truth that Can't be Won," set in the modern world, at the centre of the story is an anthropomorphic rat. He is now the developer for the Van Schoonbeek's estate and desperately hopes for a good buyer. He is disillusioned with the way his life unfolds and is bombarded with calls from the bank. He is enthusiastic about the unannounced visit of a couple who show interest to buy the house but later finds out their motive. This leads to all sorts of miscommunication and strife with the strange visitors. From there, a Kafkaesque labyrinth is built based on the home invasion genre and it is impossible for the protagonist to recover. The existential crisis increases with the passing of days, it turns out the person (darling) who he speaks over phone is his dentist. He is plagued by bugs and in the midst of all the stuff, there is Busby Berkeley-esque dance number for the vermin. It is funny and sad but never taking itself too seriously but reveals the obsession which cost the protagonist everything. In order to not give away everything, i don't want to reveal much.

The concluding chapter, directed by Paloma Baeza "Listen Again and Seek The Sun" is set in a post-apocalyptic flooded wasteland and the setting serves as the backdrop for the Van Schoonbeek estate. A fed-up landlady (Rosa) has to put up with the antics of her laid back tenants - Jen and Elias who never pay their rent in money but through crystal stone and fish. Jen is visited by her partner Cosmos and this irks Rosa. Nevertheless, she agrees to offer accommodation in return to restore the dilapidated house. This decision turns the life of the landlady completely upside down resulting in a bittersweet ending. This chapter is a hodgepodge and doesn't seem to fit with the tone of the previous two. It also blends humour and emotion well with little room for surrealism.

Minor quibbles aside, i'm happy that Netflix backed this experiment. I was surprised when a niche series like Brand New Cherry Flavor was sold to the mainstream. I was so impressed with The Summit of the Gods (2021) and The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021). I hope they can assemble many more such experiments and balance it with a commercially clickbait titles too.

Overall, If you are into stop-motion animation, this is a must watch. Those who can appreciate surrealism from a purely visual point of view, i bet you won't be disappointed by this film. If you happen to love this, i recommend a list of underrated filmmakers who have some amazing stop motion titles to their credit: Lee Hardcastle, Robert Morgan, Christiane Cegavske, Jirí Barta, Regina Pessoa, Suzan Pitt, Tadanari Okamoto, Tomoki Misato, Izabela Plucinska, Siqi Song, Daria Kashcheeva, Jan Balej, Dave Borthwick, Martha Colburn, Phil Tippett, Cesar Cabral, Katariina Lillqvist, Takeshi Yashiro, Jirí Trnka, Brothers Quay, Len Lye, Anna Solanas, Bruce Bickford, Marc Riba, Jan Lenica, Keita Kurosaka, Ujicha, Joaquín Cocina and Cristobal Leon worth checking out in that regards.

A collection of bricks.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 20 January 2022]

Though 'IMDb' lists 'The House (2022)' as a TV series*, 'Netflix' presents it as a feature-length affair and plenty of online sources (including 'Wikipedia' and several reputable film critics) refer to it as a movie. As such, I'm going to consider it a feature film, making it the first film I've seen that was initially released in 2022. It's also worth noting that, although its three stories exist more or less in isolation from one another, the thing feels like a cohesive experience that presents a few different interpretations of its central concept (so it's better suited to a movie than a mini-series, in my opinion). The first flick of the year is usually a bit subpar, but this is far from such. It's actually pretty great. The piece is an anthology of stop-motion animation that tells three distinct stories, each of which surround the eponymous house regardless of the fact that they're separated by many years and, even, the species of creature they focus on. The fact that the three stories star humans, rats and cats respectively can be interpreted in a few ways. Firstly, the changes in species could be entirely stylistic, meaning that the characters are represented by humans, rats and cats but are actually always one of the three (perhaps whichever you most connect with). Secondly, the timeline could be entirely linear and be set over a couple of thousand years rather than a couple of hundred, with giant rats at some point overthrowing humans before then themselves being overthrown by giant cats. The third possibility is that the house transcends conventional boundaries of space and time, occupying several different realities (across which these three stories take place). This aspect of the picture isn't particularly important and is certainly open to interpretation, like most of the narrative's surrealist events. It isn't so much a straightforward plot as it is a sort of unsettling mood poem. Even though the three stories are written by the same person, they feel wildly different in terms of tone and theme. Even their aesthetics are unique, the loose wool of the first segment contrasting sharply with the crisp fibres of the last. The segments compliment each other, though. In a way, they each start with the same concept and take it in their own direction, which makes for a consistently compelling watch. The first segment is, for me, the highlight, with a genuinely creepy atmosphere and a wonderfully moody aesthetic. There's something almost intangible about it and it often makes you smile because of how confidently bizarre it is. It feels like 19th century gothic horror, even if it's a lot more surreal than most entries in that genre, and it's certainly the most conventionally disquieting short in the film. The second segment has a surprisingly effective final moment, though, which is all the more startling because most of this story plays out like a pseudo 'kitchen sink' drama about an uncannily realistic renovator. As a result, it's actually rather scary as a whole. Its down-to-earth central performance and its nuanced animations make it feel remarkably true to life despite the fact that it features talking rodents. This is actually one of the things that makes it get under your skin, since it feels so strangely familiar and stressfully alien all at once. The moments of genuine comedy (largely absent from the first story) also add to this effect. The picture's third segment is very light on horror, more or less whittling its scares down to the gnawing realisation that the protagonist has been trapped by her own domesticity. It's a different sort of horror and it plays out more like a drama for most of its duration. Its hopeful ending is also tinged with a dash of sadness; perhaps it's too good to be true? Despite not being creepy, the final movement is still effective and engaging. Overall, this is a really solid animated horror film. Its aesthetic is gorgeous and its concepts are oddly engrossing. It isn't terrifying, but it is unsettling and it has the ability to provoke real retrospection. It's an entertaining affair from start to finish. 7/10.

*'IMDb' has subsequently altered the movie's page, which means that 'The House (2022)' is now correctly labelled as a film rather than a TV show.

Creepy, fun and heartwarming

[szemeteskuka72 · 8/10 · 16 January 2022]

This film contains 3 different and rather unique tales. First off I'd like to say - it's a very weird piece so it's not gonna be for everyone, and on Netflix it says 13+ but definitely don't watch it with children if you don't want to traumatise them. I'd say it's 16+ at the very least. It's not gory or violent by any means but it can be unsettling and very eerie at times, especially the first story. Now onto the review..

First: the creepy

This one is about how people tend to give themselves up for social expectations/money and the unmatiralistic purity of children. Its a rather sad tale but above everything it's an unsettling one. It's atmosphere is very eerie and to me it was visually, it looks like the distorted version of an old European cartoon, it sent chills down my spine the entire time, and though the story is kind of predictable, it managed to keep menon my toes. 8/10

Second: the fun

I couldn't quite grasp what this one was about, and to me this was the least entertaining out of the three. However it was quirky with a fun sense of humour so overall I did enjoy it. This one was interesting visually as well but it didn't stand out as much.

Side note/warning - if you have a fear of bugs you'll hate this one. 6/10

Third: the heartwarming

This story had a rather positive message about letting go of one's fear of change, taking a leap of faith instead of fixating on the past and the routines. It had a very nice/interesting atmosphere and it felt very humane to me. It was visually pleasing but nothing really unique. It's a nice closure to the previous stories, by the end it leavs the wiever with a good taste in yotheir mouth. 9/10.

What Is A House Really

[daoldiges · 7/10 · 16 January 2022]

I was not all all familiar with The House when I noticed it on Netflix, yet was drawn to check it out, and am very glad that I did. It's a very interesting and charming film anthology of stop-animation. The three stories and characters are all unique and distinct from one another except for this house that ties them together. The animation is excellent, the score is solid, and the stories engaging and thought provoking. I total surprise delight for me.

Visually impressive, conceptually interesting, absolutely pointless

[joaovitorn-13727 · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

With imagery that seems to recall nightmares everyone seems to have at some point, The House is actively engaging and eye-catching. At first.

The movie is actually an anthology with three episodes set in the same house, in different decades and with different types of characters. The first chapter is the best one, with a fully thought-out concept that is clichéd but very effective. The ending is somewhat unsatisfying, leaves the viewer wanting for more in the same way watching a movie trailer does.

The second episode is wayy less effective. Thematically and plot-wise, there seems to be no connection between the episodes. Worse than that, the ideas they seem to have wanted to explore feel only hinted at. After the second episode, I just gave up. Overall, first chapter is worth watching if only for the spooky atmosphere and engaging story. The second chapter destroys whatever promise the first one showed. Having top notch production values does not make up for lack of plot and faulty writing.

Stunningly beautiful

[PattyWintersShow · 9/10 · 14 January 2022]

This film is one of the most well-crafted films I have ever seen. Every single frame is so precise in the details. I really hope that other filmmakers are inspired by this type of creativity, and use this styling in their own films.

The stories themselves were weirdly unsettling, and although I wouldn't classify it as a horror, many elements seemed as though they were inspired from some nightmarish dream. Although I am sure many audiences will find that they prefer a certain "story" (or generation) above the others - as each story seems to be specifically catered to a certain demographic - each story is unique in its story telling and compelling enough to make you keep watching.

I highly recommend this film, it is a great watch and surely worth your time. It is much better than 95% of the current content on Netflix by far.

Animation is top-notch;the problem is the story

[parnildh · 6/10 · 17 January 2022]

Animation is superlative. The problem is with the scripts. The first story was good but had an abrupt ending. The rest two were pretty bad except for one or two funny dialogues.

Great!

[carlosfm-24299 · 9/10 · 14 January 2022]

Damn what an experience, although I liked the first one I feel like it wasn't much for me and it was a bit complicated and confusing, the second one made me stressed and I was able to empathize a lot with our protagonist and the third one for me was a visual marvel and it was so beautiful to see this story, excellent ending. This series may not be for everyone but it is certainly entertaining, stressful, beautiful, sad, funny, all while making it wonderful. Well done Netflix!

Beautifully looking and pretty entertaining

[Movi3DO · 7/10 · 21 January 2022]

I hate this house.

Three stories that are only related through the same house.

What impressed me the most was the cinematography and music. Even though it's an animation, the camera shots and lightning was incredible. The music amplified the frustration from the characters and made me feel uneasy about the house. Aesthetically this movie was beautiful.

The art style also made the house felt like a character: even though it's beautiful on the outside, it's all sort of weirdness on the inside. This led to the absurd yet entertaining stories. They all started with a situation that could happen in real life, but then became exaggerated metaphorically. The second story was my favorite. It sure was nasty, but also ridiculous and funny.

Overall, it's a well-crafted and bizarre piece of work. This is what art-house cinema is haha. 7.5/10.

Weird

[saigan-82599 · 5/10 · 18 January 2022]

Feels like his was made just for the sake of making it weird. Animations where great but the story not great. Can't imaging watching this while being sober.

Delightfully Creepy

[lanaijw · 8/10 · 14 January 2022]

Lovely animation that perfectly suits the tone of the three stories. I was especially unsettled while watching the first story. Darkly funny, enjoyably uncomfortable, and I like that not every little question is answered (for example: who exactly is the builder of the house?). If you liked Love Death & Robots, give this a go.

An uneven but well animated stop motion anthology

[IonicBreezeMachine · 7/10 · 26 January 2022]

A three story house serves as the centerpiece of three stories. The first follows a poor family who are given a new home constructed by an enigmatic benefactor only to find out all too late that the house is still under construction and more a prison-like labyrinth than a home. The second follows a struggling developer who due to economic pressures, pest infestations, and miscommunications finds himself in an uphill battle to refurbish and showcase the home to potential buyers, only for two such potential buyers to become overly familiar with the house. The third follows a struggling landlord who tries to keep the house a float (literally) after a flood has driven off most of the tenets leaving only a collection of eccentric deadbeats as her last loyal tenets.

The House is a British stop-motion anthology film featuring three segments done by a different team of directors and animators. Produced at Nexus Studios for Netflix's streaming service, the film features a collection of tales surrounding the titular house that run the gamut from Edgar Allen Poe inspired gothic macabre, dark as black comedy, or even whimsical magic realism. While the stories vary in terms of quality, they form a mostly satisfying whole and create a weird but memorable experience.

The animation is well done with each animation team giving their segment their own visual identity while tying into the central linking device of the house. The segments are all visually appealing with their unique styles with the first segment's character designs and environments matching the bleak and depressing atmosphere created, while the other two shorts focus on anthropomorphic characters such as mice and cats who play their stories a bit more for humor (albeit quite dark).

The House sets the bar high for itself with its first story, And heard within, a lie is spun, playing itself as a gothic horror story where a family of lower class is given what seems like the deal of a lifetime as they come into possession a seemingly attractive house only for the grandiosity and opulence to be taken to ludicrous extremes that soon become horrific in nature and concept. It creates a solid feeling of creeping dread and has the air of if Poe had given his take on the Winchester Mystery House. While this opening segment is quite amazing, the following segments kind of pale in comparison to it. Not that they're bad or anything as there's still some solid work in the animation and artwork with the Fur Beetle dance and the final sequence delivering some truly amazing sights, but their stories didn't really resonate the way the first part did. The plots of the last two segments are also pretty similar with both dealing with a protagonist who is trying to rebuild the house (though one by unwilling obligation and the other doing so of their own volition) and also dealing with unwanted "guests" who curtail their plans (with one set malevolent and the other set benevolent). The segments have some really strong elements and themes but they never really reached the level of the first short (at least for me anyway).

The House is an ambitious stop-motion anthology with strong animation and memorable imagery. While it starts with its best story and continues with two okay stories, as a showcase for solid stop-motion animation that carries a sharp edge The House truly is home.

Loved the Stop Animation; Disappointed by the Stories

[iquine · 3/10 · 10 February 2022]

This is a film with three unique stories that have one thing in common; the house. The first story was strange yet very engaging and I loved the style of the puppet people. Story #2 with the mice was awful and story #3 with the cats was not any better. If the script was better this would have been outstanding. Or just lengthen the first story as the entire film. Hard to describe the hyper vague plots of these but the stop motion animation was a great charge from the usual. The first story presented the most meat to chew on, while the others appeared to be were really disconnected within themselves, between their own scenes, from making any sense. Who knows, this may click better for you.

Unbalanced

[mutantdani · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

First episode is awesome and depth, a full interesting movie could be made from it. Unfortunately, the movie rapidly changes to a completely different odd chapter with other characters, story and direction. The animation is great, anyway.

Not... good enough.

[alejandroalcantara_ · 6/10 · 21 January 2022]

65/100

The House is actually a miniseries that was grouped into a feature film and announced as a Netflix special... and that isn't even the most confusing aspect of it.

Normally, when a movie revolves around more than one storyline, one of them will always outshine the others. With The House, it is no different. I guess that that was my biggest trouble with it, my harshest critique -since most of my problems with it could just be problematic nitpicks-. What I anticipated for worse pretty much happened the way I was expecting it to and the movie was indifferent at proving me otherwise.

All three stories suffer from the exact same thing: they feel entirely detatched from each other. The only moment where they reference the preceding story is by a minute reference that, if you were to only watch one of the three, you wouldn't even notice. What I am agitated with is that each story has ENTIRE scenes left unpurposed. It would've been interesting to see these stories have a sense of continuity since they all reside within the same house. It feels contradictory to push them all together with a "Film" tag attatched to it if they were to be this disconnected from each other in the first place.

The animation, though I have a soft spot for stop motion since it's the art medium that takes the most time and effort, sometimes doesn't match with the dialogue delivered by the voice cast. This wasn't entirely a problem since the film itself has a good camera understanding, leading to some up-to-par shots. The writing can sometimes feel awful since it doesn't establish enough information for us to process on account of each story's short runtime and the character design of the first story just feels off since the only purpose it contains is that of creating a confining atmosphere.

I guess I was expecting more, not only from my first ever movie released this year, but also for a movie that feels ambitious enough to be considered arthouse, but not good enough for the lack of initiative.

Interesting take on a horror

[ladyliliroche · 8/10 · 15 January 2022]

The stop animation is definitely beautiful. There was a lot of attention to detail and love poured into it.

The story itself was interesting. The first chapter has that mystery olden horror into it, and I kinda thought it would play out more twisty then what we actually got.

Second chapter was both hilarious and sad, with kinda a fitting ending.

The third chapter was also well done. Helena Bonham Carter was a gem in it.

Overall the story and theme can be interpreted in anyway or taken straight as a whole story. Definitely didn't regret watching this movie. Hoping they make more with more twisty story.

Darkly Funny, Yet Horrific Saga Of A Very Strange House (Mild Spoilers)

[ssangha-21515 · 9/10 · 14 January 2022]

One of the best animation films I've seen. All 3 parts are very competently directed, and the animation captures even subtle movements extremely well. The voice actors deserve special mention for being uniformly excellent. The story begins with a story set in what seems to be late Victorian England, with a mysterious man promising much to a young family without asking anything in return. The voice actors , Mia Goth and Eleanor De Swaef are so extremely sweet and expressive in this segment. The atmosphere is deeply unsettling and reminiscent of a story by E F Benson or Algernon Blackwood.

It leads into the second one , with a tonal shift regarding the time period. It deals with a young, harried developer trying to create this showpiece-type home to sell. The building is in shambles but he keeps trying to paper over the cracks. While this seemed a bit gimmicky compared to the first, what it shows and what it reveals will leave you thinking for days after. Though one of the scenes made me wonder if the director was hinting at an immigrant intrusion, and I hope not, because it is a brilliant short otherwise. The third one is far more benign on the surface than the others and seems to hint at a happy ending, but then this house is not what it seems. This part had some beautiful scenes in the end on par with a Ghibli movie.

I both liked and disliked the mysteriousness of the house and its origins, keeping in mind how sinister some of the scenes are. It's one of the most engaging films Netflix has ever made and is a must watch.

Overall entertaining, but the first story is the strongest

[Deathstryke · 7/10 · 16 January 2022]

Set across different time periods and worlds, The House features three separate short stories that all revolve around one grand manor house and the many strange goings on that happen there.

The first "And Heard Within. A Lie is Spun" tells a wonderfully dark Shining-style horror where the house itself is an evil, cosmic entity that slowly imprisons and consumes its inhabitants. The fact that the characters are wool puppets does not make what happens any less terrifying; there are some truly nightmarish moments and I think it could easily have been a standalone feature.

The second story jumps to the modern day, in which an anthropomorphic rat is attempting to refurbish and sell the house to wealthy buyers. In his way are plumbing problems...and some large bugs. This one was more comical, but in an off kilter 'something weird is going to happen' way which keeps the suspense going.

The third story is the weakest in my opinion. Set in what I presume is a post-climate change future, the house is surrounded by floodwater while a landlord cat tries to reign in her unruly hippie tenants. I thought there was probably some sub textual commentary going on about society needing to abandon capitalism and embrace a utopic socialist ideal in the face of rising sea-levels, but it's very vague, albeit charmingly acted and animated.

I do wish the stories were better linked; While the house is the same in all three stories, they don't reference each other; In the first film the building is almost sentient, whereas in the other two it's just bricks and mortar. There's no common lore that links the house from film to film, which I think was a missed opportunity. That said, each film was brilliantly executed in its own right and it's great to see Netflix embracing animation that is not afraid to tell quirky, left-of-field stories.

Dark with no comedy (depressing pointless parables)

[aj005 · 1/10 · 17 January 2022]

Let me start by saying my rating in no way reflects the voice acting which was good.

That being said I found everything else horrible.

What this is essentially is 3 parables that they try to thinly connect by saying it's the same house in each parable which is razor thin cuz the house does not appear to be even remotely similar in any of the 3 stories except for a few things they throw in to try to make the connection from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd, but if you were to just look 1st to 3rd there is zero connection to say that is the same house.

The moral of each parable is as old as time, absolutely nothing new here. There is no pleasure to be derived from the stories themselves, unless you find dancing cockroaches in stop motion animation funny.

Now if you're a glutton for punishment or if you like stories where the protagonist struggles and suffers until they give up then maybe you'll enjoy this.

To me instead of dark comedy adult animation as it's listed it would better be called children's horror.

On top of all that I found their version of stop motion animation to be off putting the whole time and very unenjoyable to watch.

All in all I thought it was an awful waste of time and by the time I was halfway through the 2nd I was hoping that there would be a bright spot to this just so it wasn't a complete waste of time, a few minutes into the third I was just wishing it would end.

So watch at your own risk, but if you've read all this then at least you know what you're getting yourself into.

You Are What You Are

[mzmorgann · 9/10 · 16 January 2022]

I appreciate this chapter, because it is a reminder that no matter how you try to dress something or someone up, things are naturally what they are. This chapter being set in the "current time" reminds me of the concept, "The Rat Race." You can build anything on earth and prop it up to be something that you'd like it to be, however, nature will always show itself as the dominant factor. That to me is what this chapter is all about.

Stop-Motion Anthology

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 7/10 · 16 January 2022]

Beautifully animated with a great attention to details (almost). It's beautifully photographed too. My only problem with it was the lack of facial expression with the characters. I think they should have worked more on the facial expression to convey emotion from the characters.

It is a pretty nice stop-motion animation anthology surrounding a home. I liked the first and last stories the most. Not so much about the developer.

What the hell was that

[NEXUSNLW · 4/10 · 21 January 2022]

The animation was brilliant....but the stories....what the hell.

They made zero sense.expecially the second one.

I'm so confused with what I just sat through

It literally only gets a 4 cos the animation was superb.

What Lies Inside the Unknown

[elicopperman · 7/10 · 31 January 2022]

With the recent growing trend of original Netflix produced animation, it's no surprise that a stop-motion anthology feature would be due for praise. As of this month, The House has garnished a lot of critical acclaim and viewer attention due to its dark subject matter and creepy looking style. Made in the London based Nexus Studios and directed by four people per segment, although in this case three, the film tells three individual stories surrounding the exact same house spanning different time periods and characters. While definitely a creepy scenario, it's best to analyze the feature based on the house's inner anxieties.

To summarize all the stories one by one, the first narrative details a poor family who have a brand new house built over their old home, only for the parents to become diluted with the objects and the two children to escape. The second revolves around a later period where the house is for sale in a city by an anthropomorphic mouse, and everything and everyone ends up taking over the interior in the worst way possible. The third and final segment features the same house in a post flooded future, and its current owners of anthropomorphic cats struggle to rebuild the place to its former glory. As the overall movie is centered around this mysterious elaborately designed house, the major themes of interior anxiety, personal attachment, paranoia, present day turmoil, claustrophobia and fear of powerlessness stem through each of the segment's central figures coasting through the house's scary existence. Depending on what each protagonist ends up doing throughout their life, the anthology is established by very specific genres to give a literal three act structure.

While the first segment feels very horror-esque in its execution, as well as some of the second, the latter installments offer a more lighthearted approach to the discomforting tone set up. Each story is consistent in the surrealistic landscape the house sets up, albeit with different parallels that offer numerous takes on the downfall of individualism and sanity. It helps too that the film never holds your hand throughout each chapter, allowing the viewer to fill the pieces in themselves from each transition to the next nightmare. Very much like the frightened children in the first segment and the paranoid rat in the second, you're often left wandering the halls of the house in its unpredictable nature more often than not, especially with certain creepy crawlies and floods coming in and out. Aided by Gustavo Santaolalla's soothingly haunting score, the pacing in each story showcases the rise and fall of their protagonists in varying degrees. Perhaps the only exception would be the third installment, as it instead offers a more breathtaking option to live free of past burdens.

Among the poetic storytelling and fascinating characters, the major selling point to grind people within the film's universe is the gothic cloth animation. Vast attention to detail lies in the layout and design for the production set pieces and character models with tiny eyes and mouths. For instance, the first segment makes exquisite use of the extravagant amenities, such as delicious food of massive quantities and illuminating electricity of a dreamlike aroma. Both the effects animation and lighting play major roles in defining the mood for a given scenario, with the first sequence emphasizing harsh shadows conflicting with the children's fears and the third offering a more laid back open spaced palette common to the vast ocean. Lastly, the cast of every segment did a wonderful job with the material they were given, especially with the third segment offering a lot of genuine chemistry between the likes of Susan Wokoma, Helena Bonham Carter and Paul Kaye. Needless to say, this feature fits right at home with the art direction more than any other department.

Thanks to a tremendous amount of love and passion put into the writing and world-building, The House marks itself as a spectacular entry in Netflix's latest batch of animated gems. With three individual stories that want the audience to wander its halls and landscape, there's a lot to recommend about this feature, regardless if you're in the mood for some fairly thought provoking horror or just a fan of stop motion. After all, this movie hopes you will notice how things have changed over time, and how they have not, much like the house it was named after.

Loved the animations, not so much the stories

[foxtografo · 6/10 · 8 February 2022]

I liked the first story a lot, but I found the second and third full of obnoxious characters, so I couldn´t enjoy the stories.

All of them make a clear point and there's a reason for the stories, but I just didn't like much two of the three.

The technical aspect of the animation is very good in the three stories, they're all different but keeping certain style.

Overall enjoyable, but the two last feel more related to each other than the first one.

Stars For Creative Originality

[wildernessbarbie · 7/10 · 21 January 2022]

I thought the stories were OK on their own, the second one being the most odd and just strange. I do love the creativity behind all of them and that Netflix took a chance on it and want to do everything I can to encourage more risk taking like this, it's how true genius is found and flourishes.