Synopsis
A sixteen-year-old boy insinuates himself into the house of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy’s intrusion will unleash a series of uncontrollable events.
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Cast
- Fabrice LuchiniGermain
- Kristin Scott ThomasJeanne
- Ernst UmhauerClaude
- Emmanuelle SeignerEsther
- Bastien UghettoRapha fils
- Denis MénochetRapha père
- Jean-François BalmerLe proviseur
- Fabrice ColsonClient de la galerie
- Diana StewartUne femme au balcon
- Stéphanie CampionUne femme au balcon
Recommendations
- 100
Empire
Ozon weaves another spellbinding tale that mingles the real and imaginery with terrific effect. - 91
The A.V. Club
All the way up to the stunning final shot, Ozon urgently asks whether, for storytellers, it’s better to be on the outside looking in, or the inside looking out. - 90
Village Voice
In the House is a mystery, but it investigates a far tougher riddle than what makes Claude tick—it's trying to figure out why, exactly, voyeurism and mystery delight us so. In the process, it delights us. - 80
Total Film
Utterly assured, breathtakingly executed and riotously funny, this is a delight. - 78
Film.com
In the House is crafty and juicy and ought to delight anyone whose ever thumped their chest about being a storyteller. I must confess, however, that somewhere in the third act the air started to leak from the balloon. - 75
Observer
There are humorous intrusions (e.g., an art show at Jeanne’s gallery that includes Nazi symbols constructed from penises), and great performances throughout. - 63
Slant Magazine
It's buoyant and titillates, striking that distinctly Ozonian balance between the beautiful and the sinister, but it doesn't resonate. - 60
The Guardian
A black-comic psychological drama with poise and self-possession. Featuring Fabrice Luchini and Kristin Scott Thomas, how could it have anything else?
