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.
Housebound [Review]
Disappointing
This is a well shot film. It wants to be funny and scary, yet falls flat on both fronts.