The House With A Clock In Its Walls

Year: 2018
Director: Eli Roth
Cast: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Kyle MacLachlan 


Plot: When Lewis Barnavelt's parents die, he's sent to live with his uncle Jonathan, who just happens to be a warlock aka person with knowledge of magic. A mysterious clock in Jonathan's house holds an ominous secret involving a former friend of his. Lewis, Jonathan and his neighbor Florence Zimmerman, a witch, have to team up and uncover the mystery before it's too late.


Review: Eli Roth directing a family film? You'd better believe it. Roth stated that he's paying tribute to Amblin classics like E.T. and Gremlins, and while The House With A Clock In Its Walls is good entertainment, it falls a little short in becoming a classic.

However, Roth's film hits the right notes for the most part. I'd say the first two thirds of the film were great, until the last third gets a bit clunky. The most interesting aspect of the film is how all three protagonists are flawed in their own way, and how they have to overcome them and work together to save the day. In this sense, what began as friendship between the three ends up making them family by the film's end.

The CGI sequences look good enough, and the humor mostly works; even the CGI generated garden griffin that craps every now and then doesn't feel inappropriate. The Laz-Boy chair that has a life of its own is probably the funniest thing in the movie.

Cast wise, Jack Black and Cate Blanchett work very well together as Jonathan and Florence respectively, both in the lighter moments when they're throwing insults at each other, and the dramatic ones as they decide how to deal with Lewis. Owen Vaccaro throws in a sometimes uneven performance as Lewis, doing better in the funnier scenes than the dramatic ones. Kyle MacLachlan, sporting heavy makeup, chews the scenery as Isaac Izard, the film's antagonist.

The flaws would be Lewis' poor decision making in the second act, which although makes him somewhat human, also clashes with his brainy persona. My main gripe though is the final sequence, which involves a weird CGI baby and a very anti-climactic solution to the problem at hand. It felt very rushed and clumsy.

Overall, I enjoyed The House With A Clock In Its Walls, and I think it's good enough for a sequel. Roth has done a good job here, but there's still room for improvement. (7/10)