Housebound (2014) User Reviews

Unpredictable and genuinely funny

[leominosa · 8/10 · 3 September 2014]

Delinquent serial-offender Kylie is sentenced to nine month's house arrest at her family home in a small town on New Zealand's Twin Coast Highway, forcing her to move back in after many years with her slightly loopy mother, who we learn has long been convinced that the house is haunted. Initially more than a little sceptical, Kylie soon begins to experience unexplained phenomena herself, and before long local security contractor/probation officer Amos (who is principally responsible for ensuring Kylie doesn't leave the premises) offers his services as an amateur paranormal investigator.

Part ghost story, part murder mystery, it would be counter- productive to know any more about the plot before viewing, as various revelations and red herrings keep the mystery quotient high. There are also underlying themes relating to family and loss that lend the film a welcome human dimension.

One slight negative is that the many twists and turns stretch out the runtime beyond the ideal for this sort of film, and there are times when it starts to drag. Also one particular character is presented in a manner that pushes the film firmly into farce territory; one of a couple of aspects that could have been executed slightly more believably, as absurd as that sounds in relation to a film of this type.

The performances are all top notch; Morgana O'Reilly has great fun with Kylie's mardy persona, Glen-Paul Waru is perfect as likable doofus Amos and Rima Te Wiata excels as Kylie's dotty but ultimately caring mother. Refreshingly, the main characters all develop convincingly over the course of the film, which is far from a given when it comes to horrors, comedies and indeed horror-comedies. You'd have to be pretty hard-hearted not to care about them by the end.

Horror-comedies are difficult to pull off, and it's rare that a film strikes a genuine balance without ending up as a full-on horror with a darkly comic edge, or an out-and-out comedy with horror themes, but Housebound gets very close to doing so. At time it leans more towards comedy and farce, and the tone is often light-hearted, but there are enough moments of tension – and violence – to ensure that there are plenty of thrills among the laughs.

A surprising gem from New Zealand

[Corpus_Vile · 8/10 · 29 April 2014]

Kylie (Morgana O'Reilly) is a wild child methamphetamine & drink fueled girl who's not averse to engaging in petty crime to fund her lifestyle. One night, after her spot of smash 'n' grab badly backfires, Kylie is put under house arrest, complete with delinquent offender ankle bracelet, to live with her long suffering mother and her mother's almost permanently silent husband and has to endure being checked in on by her social worker Dennis (Cameron Rhodes) and likable security guard Amos (Glen-Paul Waru)

Kylie and her mother don't get on at all, with neither particularly happy with this state of affairs. Worse still, her mother who tends to believe in the paranormal gets even more annoying by insisting the house is haunted, due to the strange noises and weird sighting in the basement she had. Kylie scoffs at this and finds her mother's incessant chatter and claims even more irritating...

...Until she hears the noises herself one night. Things get even worse when Kylie starts having her own sightings & observations of weird stuff happening. Desperate for help, she and her mother confides in Amos the security guard. Amos, a keen amateur paranormal investigator decides to look into things, which leads to them uncovering some rather creepy info about the house in the process. As the mystery deepens, Kyleigh, her mother and Amos all realise that they're gonna have to solve it before whatever it is that dwells in the house engulfs and destroys them all...

Housebound is a very pleasant surprise comedy horror gem from New Zealand, but with nicely done scares and a creepy atmosphere to go with the chuckles, which come mainly via hilarious interactions with the dysfunctional trio. It also turns into a surprisingly layered film plot wise with some twists & turns in the third act to keep things nicely interesting. With some gold one liners and effective scares, it's emerged as one of the better horror viewings of this year and while frequently hilarious, it's primarily a horror thriller that simply tempers things with some very deft comedic relief.

Overall a highly recommended gem from New Zealand and it went down well with the audience at the Dead by Dawn festival where I caught it, so any horror fan should keep an eye out for this one. 8/10, really decent little horror flick.

A horror film which also happens to be funny

[Boris_Day · 8/10 · 25 October 2014]

With a few exemptions I'm not a huge fan of horror comedies as they are rarely scary nor really that funny. What I like about Housebound is that it is first and foremost a horror film, which also happens to be funny. The humor develops naturally out of the situations and the characters. The gags don't feel shoehorned in and it isn't a parody of the horror genre. And in a genre where characterisation often comes as an afterthought, the characters here feel well rounded and very real.

The performances are fantastic all round. Morgana O'Reilly as Kylie is one tough cookie of a scream queen. After participating in a failed ATM robbery she gets sentenced to eight months house arrest at her mother's rambling country house, which her mother suspects may be haunted. The fact that she is trapped in the house with her ineffectual stepdad and her blabbermouth of a mother, makes Kylie even more cranky than she already was and the fact that something spooky stalks the house at night isn't helping her mood either. In a great cast the stand out is Rima Te Wiata as Kylie's none too bright but well intentioned mother. There will be people complaining about unlikeable characters but who cares when they are as fun and as well drawn as they are here. Nobody strains to give a comedy performance, in best Antipodean tradition the humor is totally deadpan.

The set-up is similar to the forgettable Famke Janssen horror flick 100 Feet but this film does the premise of being under house arrest in a haunted house justice. If the film has one flaw then it's one typical of many a first film: Housebound runs on a little too long and would have made a perfect 90 minute film. It takes a while to get going. But that's a small complaint when the film gets so much right. The film really hits its stride in the last third, when all hell breaks lose and the plot twists and turns. Best horror film of 2014.

Fun times.

[s0hc4ht04 · 27 October 2014]

At first I was really skeptical about this movie due to the "comedy" genre. Usually I'm not much of a horror/comedy fan (being a big fan of "pure" horror movies). I gave this movie a try due to the positive ratings and I was not disappointed. And for anyone that is wondering... it definitely has horror elements.

The mysterious story was really great and the acting was on point. None of the characters were annoying (I find a lot of character in horror/comedy movies rather annoying). I was pleasantly surprised that the comedy was more of a dark comedy rather than toilet comedy, but I really didn't know what to expect.

House of Horrors!

[MattBirk · 7/10 · 24 November 2014]

'Housebound' is a very well crafted movie, mostly because it perfectly balances suspense/horror with comedic tones that laugh in the face of classic horror moments. But even with all those great comedy bits, there are quite a few creepy moments in the movie that gets your heart pounding. The story on the other hand is quite original, I won't give too much away, but it plays out like a ghost story with the main character trapped inside the house, because of a house arrest warrant. The movie is full of surprises and comical elements that keeps the somewhat darker story light at heart. Having the main character on house arrest is a nice touch that forces her to stay inside the house even though there is something sinister going on inside those walls. 'Housebound' plays out with some typical horror elements, but the main character refuses to follow suit and every time something 'unusual' happens, she tackles those situations more level headed than most horror movie characters, which creates some great humor. As I said above, I loved how the movie easily transitioned between being quite comical to some very solid scares, it also has a very strong creep factor as well! I was not expecting a whole lot going into this movie so it turned out to be quite a surprise, even though the movie certainly would have been better had it trimmed it's runtime down! And as for a warning, if you for some odd reason you struggle through the first 1/2 of the movie, just know that the 3rd act is where all the excitement and mayhem lives! This movie is along the likes of Tucker & Dale vs Evil, and although it is definitely a darker movie, it features a lot more (and welcomed) surprises!

Full Review at : www.simplefilmreviews.com

surprising bits of fun

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 6 August 2017]

Kylie Bucknell is a troubled girl in New Zealand. She gets arrested for trying to break into an ATM. She is sentenced to house arrest and forced to move back in with her mother Miriam. Miriam suspects the house is haunted. Strange things start to happen. Amos sets up her ankle bracelet and is a paranormal enthusiast. Dennis is the psychologist assigned to her case.

There are surprising moments of light humor in this odd little horror. It's not particularly scary. It has a bit of fun like the Cornetto Trilogy. The lead character is not necessarily a nice girl but she still maintains some rooting interest. The story doesn't completely hold together but the last act has plenty of fun.

Oh Wow

[pub-21 · 9/10 · 27 October 2019]

What a GREAT film. It's Kiwi to the bone, no Hollywood glitz here just an entertaining film. To make a film like this on shoe string budget is a truly fantastic achievement. Anyone who was involved in putting this together, go ahead and give yourselves a big pat on the back.

Worthy Mix of Comedy and Thrills

[gregsrants · 6/10 · 17 October 2014]

The 9th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival opened last evening with a sell-out crowd on hand for the screening of Housebound, a New Zealand horror film that takes on the tried-and-tested genre device of the haunted house.

Morgana O'Reilly plays Kylie Bucknell, a troubled young woman who is sentenced by the local courts to home detention after a failed ATM robbery and is ordered to house arrest under the care of her mother Miriam (Rima Te Wiata). Miriam is a bit of a nutbag who is convinced that their home is haunted. The rebellious Kylie is less than convinced. That is until she begins to see and hear strange things around the house that prompt Kylie's inner-Nancy Drew as a murder mystery slowly unfolds.

Housebound is a thriller comedy that focuses more on the comedy than it does the intensity. Rima Te Waita's Miriam gets most of the laughs as a mild-mannered everyday mom that channels thoughts of Edith Bunker as she stumbles through the events of the film. Security officer and self-anointed ghost hunter Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) also assists in the deliberate tickling of the audience's funny bone as he teams with Kylie for an unlikely duo that were a Scooby snack eating dog away from being the New Zealand Mystery Inc.

Writer/director Gerard Johnstone makes his feature film debut with Housebound and proves he can deliver the goods on a multiple genre platform to please most audiences.

Housebound may be a bit uneven as it switched from ghost story to violent cat-and-mouse murder solving, but it has just enough of everything to ensure that audiences are provided with valued entertainment. We may not have truly appreciated the plot veering into People Under the Stairs direction, but Johnstone keeps everything from falling under the weight of the ridiculousness of the events and the Toronto After Dark Film Festival crowd laughed and cheered in all the right places.

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Laugh, Scream, Flinch

[chicagopoetry · 9/10 · 18 October 2014]

Housebound is really something. It's part ghost story, part People Under the Stairs, part murder mystery, part slapstick comedy and part family drama. The dialog, facial expression and spot on timing of the action keep this mash up of genres amusing every step of the way. Just when you think you know which way it's heading, it either makes fun of the standard clichés or skips them entirely, casting us into a twist and turn that starts it all over again with an entirely new plot development. And when you think you know where that plot line is headed, it does it again. I really enjoyed the character Amos played by Glen-Paul Waru. His bumbling energy kept me chuckling. I also enjoyed the fact that even though this film gets pretty violent and gory at times, overall it is a good-natured, feel good movie that, like a roller coaster ride, is scary and fun and shocking and harmless all at the same time. Good job Gerard Johnstone!

Horror comedy strikes good balance

[youngcollind · 7/10 · 30 April 2021]

Equally effective with it's deadpan humour as it is with it's twisted haunted house tale. It's meagre budget justified by some solid performances, especially Rima Te Wiata who has many funny quips as her peaches and cream demeanor is challenged by her surroundings. As solid as everything is, it is a tad forgettable as I must confess I accidentally watched it twice a couple years apart, only realizing midway through the second viewing that it was something I had seen before.

Gentle comedy

[begob · 5/10 · 3 November 2014]

Fairly amusing, but it's not a comedy horror - more a "you pesky kids" murder mystery with a bit of gore thrown in.

The main parts are played very well, especially mother and daughter who make a good double act.

There are too many characters and some sub-plots that trail off. The boyfriend in the ATM robbery is there just for the rebounding hammer gag. No need for a second cop. The sinister neighbour disappears two thirds way through. The step father's role is pretty pointless and leads to the biggest of a few plot holes - no interest shown by the police in the fact he's been stabbed.

The title is clever.

Cartoonish black humour and genuine suspense under the same roof.

[voyou-703-655350 · 8/10 · 23 October 2014]

And these are only two of the ingredients that will make Housebound at least a cult and hopefully a classic. It's hard enough to make the public laugh, the most difficult thing to achieve in fact. Now imagine that you can never guess if the next minute will crack you up or alarm you. How much fun that is !.

One aspect of Housebound that I particularly enjoy is the fact that the characters are as multi-layered as the story itself. They start with one facet, one role, and naturally reveal more of their humanity all along the way. They can bring as much surprises as the events do. It must have been a pleasure for the actors. Who, by the way, are excellent.

There are no scream queens here. Watch Housebound and you'll find yourself rooting for a brat or the housewife next door, between two guffaws.

Under-appreciated gem

[ethancrater-86017 · 7/10 · 2 October 2022]

This is not an unheard of movie, but I stopped believe it to be fully underrated. Funny relatable characters, wonderful cinematography, and even though the film claims to be low budget it really doesn't feel like it. The story centers around Kylie, a self-centered miscreant who has to return to her childhood home on house arrest. Kylie is very dislikeable at first, being a bully to her step-dad, her dim-witted and somewhat racist mother, well meaning social workers, and pretty much everyone who has the misfortune of meeting her. As her house arrest continues strange things begin happening that cause Kylie to wonder if her mum and step-dad are the only other inhabitants of the home. No spoilers here so go watch to find out how Kylie copes with being Housebound.

This movie never took off...

[SpookyJackie · 5/10 · 30 November 2014]

I had high hopes for this horror/comedy movie based off the reviews I've read. Usually, I don't know many successful horror/comedy movies, but the one's that are good, are quite rare. The beginning of this movie was entertaining and funny, I thought the whole movie was going to be like this, but I was wrong. It never really "took off" for me. In the middle of the movie, only a few things that happened that was considered funny, and there were slight jump scares; besides that, it was pretty boring. It wasn't until near the end of the movie when the entertainment picked back up.

I was watching this with my friends and family and none of them enjoyed it, some even fell asleep. Personally, this movie was just okay. I wish it was more funnier, but I found myself most of the time- just waiting for something to happen. Don't get me wrong, this movie wasn't bad, and I thought it had huge potential.

Some people may enjoy it, but I found it pretty slow half way into the movie.

Refreshing genre twist

[amesmonde · 5 October 2015]

A troubled young woman, attempts to steal the safe from an ATM, confined to her house she finds out that there may be more to her mother claims that their house is haunted.

What's starts out as seemingly haunted house flick turns into something totally different, reminiscent of The People Under the stairs mixed with Grave Encounters. Those comparisons are probably not giving director Gerard Johnston's film the credit it deserves. As while it borrows other genre elements it turns them on its head like the low budget Undead (2003) or Severance (2006) it becomes something quite original. It's a tightly constructed black comedy horror with some genuine laugh out loud moments and jump scares.

Bloody and creepy in places this part mystery story set mostly in one house it's a boy who cried wolf tale in some respects, or girl in this case, as no one believes Kylie's claims apart from a security contractor, Amos.

Morgana O'Reilly is exceptional as Kylie Bucknell, the rebellious ASBO teen who has been tagged and confined to her home after a botched robbery. The small cast ensemble are outstanding with Cameron Rhodes channelling a mix of Jim Broadbent and Randy Quaid. Rima Te Wiata as Kylie's mum Miriam is particularly notable.

Praise should also be given to Johnston's writing as Morgana's character Kylie doesn't scare easily and isn't a victim, this with a few story tweaks puts a breath of fresh air into the often stale haunted-house/slasher genre.

Good horror movie..!

[kamalbeeee · 7/10 · 4 August 2022]

A girl has home arrested by police and she find the something in her basement.. Her mom claims that it is a ghost but she claims that he is physco killer... And eventually she finds the real killer who killed a teenage girl few years back with the help of one policeman.. All r acted soo well and excellent photography.. Must watch horror thriller..!!

Jesus!

[sini-200 · 6/10 · 24 June 2023]

Somebody recommended me 'Housebound' and I decided to watch it without reading too much about it. It works best if you dont know too much about it.

Housebound is a funny horror movie, not taking itself too seriously. It is cliche but finds ways to be original. Sure, it doesn't have the best effects or big budget - yet somehow it just works. The actors are good. Kylie is hilarious without trying and her Mom has some iconic funny scenes too. I love how casual they are about the house being haunted and having ghosts. It has manny funny scenes that don't seem forced, but also has serious moments.

As far as horror movies go, this is excellent

[lizwords9183 · 9/10 · 5 November 2014]

I went into this not expecting much, bored one night at home and saw it on demand, the trailer portrayed it as a straight-up haunted house type horror, which it is not.

I don't usually care for horror movies that can also be classified as comedic, I like the scares, chills, and suspense of a good horror move and tend to stay away from the super campy or "funny" types. Rare to form, this movie gives you both horror and comedy, and more. It is intriguing, suspenseful, creepy, and, at times, downright hilarious. The acting was very good, the characters well developed. I didn't feel like it was too long, just right in my opinion. It's well worth watching even for those who don't typically like horror.

And I have to add that the scene at the end of the movie, where the epic "fight for their life" begins, is so funny, I was simultaneously nervous and tense while also laughing hysterically.

Home is where the restless ghosts dwell...

[Coventry · 7/10 · 2 January 2024]

This modestly produced film hails from New Zealand, and thus evidently there's a quote on the DVD-cover from the most famous Kiwi director in history - Peter Jackson - exclaiming it's a bloody fantastic movie. Cheap marketing trick, but hey, for once it's not a lie! "Housebound" is an unexpected but pleasantly surprising little horror flick that feels fresh and original despite dealing with overly familiar themes.

It's listed as a combo between horror and comedy, and I usually get very skeptical when I read this. "Housebound", however, is effective in both domains because debuting writer/director Gerald Johnstone cleverly keeps both the horror and the comedy in good balance and never goes over the top. Several subtle jokes and situations in Johnstone's script are funny, but he never ridicules the genre or reverts to slapstick. Same goes for the horror, as "Housebound" features a tense atmosphere and various frightening moments - and even some gore - but it never becomes an unnecessarily complex or pretentious supernatural tale.

Troublesome teen Kylie is put under house arrest with an ankle-bracelet for 8 months after an amateurish ATM-heist gone wrong. It certainly is a punishment for her, because she hates the spooky and remote old mansion she grew up in, and she can't get along with her drama-queen of a mother. Mother Myriam testifies on radio shows that her house is haunted, and while imprisoned there, Kylie slows begins to experience she might be right! The cracking ceiling and noises coming from the basement suddenly become very disturbing when Kylie learns more about the house's past.

We've all seen this premise hundreds of times - at least, I have - but somehow "Housebound" remains innovative most of the running time. Whenever it's not innovative, it remains entertaining thanks to the comedy and the gore. It's not entirely flawless, mind you, and a bit too long for my liking, but "Housebound" is unquestionably one of the better horror movies of the 2010s.

Surprisingly Great

[reallyevilboy · 9/10 · 5 November 2014]

I went into this movie with high expectations. This movie has some of the best reviews I have seen.

I was surprised when the movie outshone my expectations. It was great, it was funny, incredibly funny. It had a few scares, a few jumps here and there. It had a plot that twisted a turned a little.

The acting and character development is what really made it an impressive piece of work. The mother really is great.

This really is a great movie. One of the best New Zealand movies I've seen. One of the best horror movies from the last ten years I've seen.

Highly recommended

"Housebound"

[actualbookworm · 7/10 · 17 October 2020]

A highly entertaining movie with a solid plot. This is definitely one of the few films that balanced comedy and horror well.

A total snoozefest....

[tommy-prado · 1/10 · 23 March 2015]

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....

Well done New Zealand!

[brockleyavenue · 8/10 · 22 January 2020]

This movie, has given me a new appreciation of the New Zealand movie industry. What a surprise!... and a worthy one at that. This was hilarious! The director/writers/actors/editors were brilliant. Some of the scenes left you laughing out loud and were so cleverly thought out. It not your usually 'horror' theme, with the usual gore, so if you expect that, then move on. The main character and her mother really make the movie, and as I wrote earlier, this movie opened my eyes up to the New Zealand movie trade. I'm not going to spoil you with what it about, so the best way to watch this movie is to not know much at all, and you will be pleasantly surprised. This movie, has been one I recommend for others to see, as its entertaining, funny, and you won't just get a smirk on your face but a good laugh out loud experience. Well done New Zealand.

Really fun and suspenseful ghost story/horror romp...

[hinghammark · 7/10 · 31 October 2014]

Of all the movies that are out there on DVD and VOD for Halloween right now, 'Housebound' is really a winner if you are looking for a movie that delivers a good dose of comedy along with some genuine suspense and just enough heart and family drama to make you care about the characters involved and their relationship.

The story is about a young delinquent woman who is forced to move back in with her Mom after the court places her under house arrest. Once there, she is forced to confront the unexplainable supernatural occurrences that long plagued the property and to team up with one of her probation officers to solve a fifteen-year-old unsolved murder. At the same time, she must mend the damaged relationship she has with her mother and family, but all this stuff is done with wonderful subtlety and never weighs the movie down with sappy nonsense.

The movie's plot takes some wild twists and turns, some of them coming out of nowhere, but you easily forgive this and some of the movie's other many flaws just because of how much fun the whole thing is.

While it does deliver some very genuine moments of creepiness and suspense, this movie is really, at the end of the day, more comedy than horror. The movie come from New Zealand, so maybe it's no accident that it reminded me a lot of some of Peter Jackson's earlier works, like 'Dead Alive.' Recommended--particularly for a fun Halloween movie.

No smile on my face

[trashgang · 5/10 · 22 February 2015]

The hopes were high n this flick because many magazines were saying it was the best horror comedy seen in a while. Known that horror and comedy mostly doesn't work I was eager to watch it.

Guess I must have seen another flick because I never laughed it out, never a smile appeared on my face. To make it even worse, I found it even boring in some parts. It was just until the end , the last 25 minutes that things turn into a horror with blood sputtering all over the screen but for me it was too late to find it attracting. Don't get me wrong, the acting was superb and the story was okay but I just didn't find it funny. Tucker And Dale vs Evil (2010)that was funny and I laughed it out loud watching that one tears of fun running on my cheeks but Housebound, it was more a wtf for me.

Another perfect example that you just can't believe the papers....

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5