Housebound
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Cast: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, Cameron Rhodes, Ross Harper, Millen Baird
Rating: (R13)
Four stars (out of five)
Miriam (Rima Te Wiata) is both thrilled and nervous to have her moody daughter back in the large creaky family home. Miriam believes the house is haunted and Kylie thinks she is making it up because everything is so boring here.
For the rest of Housebound (Readings) spooky stuff happens until Kylie is forced to admit that there may be something to her mum's theories.
Along the way she befriends Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) the security guard in charge of monitoring her ankle bracelet and part-time paranormal investigator.
As they dig into the history of the house they find plenty to keep a spirit restless but maybe the answer to all the strange bumps in the night is closer than they think.
As a horror film, Housebound works very efficiently.
The atmosphere of Miriam's gloomy house is genuinely unnerving and the music by Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper is craftily over-the-top without ever toppling into comedy.
But what makes Housebound sing is its clever use of humour.
This is not a horror/comedy where the laughs are all down to blood splatter, it's a horror film for people who dislike horror films.
Best thing: By the time Kylie is arming herself with the cheese grater we are totally behind her desire to kick some paranormal butt.
Worst thing: Kylie grew up in the house so I find it hard to believe that no one at school filled her in on the house's history.
See it with: Someone you would be happy to grab during those scary moments.
- Christine Powley
