I went into Housebound having only seen the cover art.  There is a family standing together, however one of the figures appears to be covered with a tattered sheet.  Intrigue hit me hard, so I grabbed a cool beverage, opened a bag of chips, and settled in for a wild ride.

Minor spoilers ahead (nothing major, I promise).

The opening is terribly strange.  There is a character that is never seen again, nor is the relationship with the main character, Kylie, explained.  Fine, I can live with that.  So Kylie ends up under house arrest under the supervision of her mother and step-father in the middle of nowhere New Zealand.  Strained relationships and all the usual cliches abound.  I’m underwhelmed.

At around the twenty-two minute marker, we start getting some excitement.  One moment starring a teddy bear gave me some chills.  Hope momentarily soar. Unfortunately the moment is fleeting.  Halfway through, I was convinced I was watching an uninteresting version of Disturbia.  Then I became even more perplexed when the film launched into what I can only describe as Home Alone-style violence.  To call this a horror film isn’t quite accurate.  I’d say comedic thriller sets expectations at a more appropriate level.  If you’re looking to be scared, skip this one.