Synopsis
When ten-year-old Lewis is suddenly orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan in a creaky (and creepy) old mansion with a mysterious ticking noise that emanates from the walls. Upon discovering that his uncle is a warlock, Lewis begins learning magic, but when he rebelliously resurrects an evil warlock he must find the secret of the house and save the world from destruction.
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Cast
- Jack BlackJonathan Barnavelt
- Cate BlanchettFlorence Zimmerman
- Owen VaccaroLewis Barnavelt
- Kyle MacLachlanIsaac Izard
- Renée Elise GoldsberrySelena Izard
- Colleen CampMrs. Hanchett
- Sunny SuljicTarby Corrigan
- Lorenza IzzoMrs. Barnavelt
- Braxton BjerkenWoody Mingo
- Vanessa Anne WilliamsRose Rita Pottinger
Recommendations
- 79
TheWrap
The House With a Clock in Its Walls is easily Eli Roth’s best motion picture, and that’s not an attempt to damn the film with faint praise. It’s a spooky and amusing piece of family-friendly Halloween cinema, sharply produced and mostly effective, told with skill and panache. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
As a family film in that vein it largely succeeds, buoyed by Black’s typical exuberance, Blanchett’s typical slyness and a richly evocative rendering of a Rockwellian suburb sprinkled with goofer dust. Less interesting, as is the way with many audience-avatar YA protagonists (sorry, Harry), is the main character, and Vaccaro’s rather hyper-articulated performance doesn’t help. - 67
Entertainment Weekly
Black, no surprise, steals the show, manically hamming it up like Harry Houdini on laughing gas, while Roth tries to keep the breakneck pace of his phantasmagoria going. As someone who was growing bored with Roth’s gory shockfests, I say: “Welcome to the kiddie table, Eli.” - 60
Variety
While not terribly original, it would be fair to call the movie inventive, like one of those eccentrics who’s constantly pestering the patent office with what he thinks are fresh ideas, only to discover that someone else got there first. - 60
Total Film
An engaging new direction for Eli Roth, who offsets the odd tonal hiccup with plenty of ghoulish delights. - 60
Screen Daily
Despite a fantastical premise and some truly eye-popping effects, The House With A Clock In Its Walls suffers from post-Potter fatigue; there’s simply nothing here, visual or thematic, that hasn’t been done before. - 60
Empire
For all the gags flying around, and all the friendly insults batted between Blanchett and Black, the script lacks the sparkle and polish of many of the classic Amblins it so enthusiastically emulates. - 50
IndieWire
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is at its best when it foregrounds the adults and gives Black and Blanchett ample time to bicker with one another.
