The House With The Clock In Its Walls
Image: A scene from Louise Wadley's "All About E", which will screen during the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
A fantasy genre thriller for kids based on the novel by John Bellairs, this movie is directed by Eli Roth, better known for adults only splatter horror. That may account for why the film feels more like an adult sandwich that has had the crust cut off to make it palatable for a younger audience. It’s got the usual menu of effects, scares and sumptuous visuals but the story is not particularly riveting.
Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) is a young orphaned boy who is sent to live with his uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) in a very large, strange house that is given a wide berth by passers by. Mrs Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett) is Jonathan’s long time friend (“no kissy kissy stuff”). They are both witches, Lewis discovers, and are hiding a dark secret which they are forced to reveal after Lewis and his school friend, Tarby (Sunny Suljic) disobey instructions, open a cupboard and unleash terror.
Black and Blanchett have great chemistry and banter which would have been killer with a better script. Vaccaro is a wee bit more insipid than you’d want the child star to be. There’s some fun to be had and kids might enjoy it but it’s not likely to sit among the favourites.
★★ ½
Reviewed by Rita Bratovich
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