Directed by:
Gerard JohnstoneScreenplay:
Gerard JohnstoneCinematography:
Simon RieraComposer:
Mahuia Bridgman-CooperVOD (1)
Plots(1)
Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O'Reilly) is forced to return to the house she grew up in when the court places her on home detention. Her punishment is made all the more unbearable by the fact she has to live there with her mother Miriam (Rima Te Wiata) - a well-intentioned blabbermouth who's convinced Kylie dismisses Miriam's superstitions as nothing more than a distraction from a life occupied by boiled vegetables & small-town gossip. However, when she too becomes privy to unsettling whispers & strange bumps in the night, she begins to wonder whether she's inherited her overactive imagination, or if the house is in fact possessed by a hostile spirit who's less than happy about the new living arrangement. (Reel Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (3)
I was surprised that such a film was made by creators from New Zealand. The setting didn’t suit the story very well. The only place where you could find proper haunted houses for this purpose might be old England. Here, the woman in the lead role annoyed me terribly from the beginning, which was probably on purpose. In any case, the plot did not salvage anything, so the only thing I had left to watch was the filmmaking itself, which was fortunately not that bad.
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I really don't know what was entertaining about this film. I didn't laugh once, I didn't even smile. I'm actually throwing in a third star for the decently action packed ending, otherwise the film let me down big time. 50%
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Housebound is absolutely different from Peter Jackson's early films, but at the same time, it continues the excellent tradition of New Zealand horror movies, which are intriguing, entertaining, and distinct from others. They're going their own way, and that's a very good thing. In their case, it definitely paid off and Housebound is a very pleasant surprise that is shot with great professionalism.
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