Based upon John Bellairs' 1973 novel, The House With A Clock in its Walls seems to mark the transition from summer to autumn: we're exchanging superpowers for pumpkins and holiday heat waves for spooky scares in Eli Roth's first foray into family-friendly fantasy after making a name for himself in the horror genre. Starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, The House With A Clock in its Walls (hereby known as House, Clock, Walls, Clock in its Walls, or House With A Clock, to save digital space) hopes to tow the line between fantasy, comedy and horror to kick the Fall cinematic window off in the right direction.
When recently orphaned Lewis Barnavelt is sent to live with his eccentric Uncle Johnathan, the creaky old house he now calls home features a mysterious ticking sound coming from inside the walls and increasingly strange goings-on. Johnathan's friend and neighbour, Florence Zimmerman, seems to be equally wacky and the pair soon reveal themselves as a warlock and witch attempting to find the eternally-ticking clock before it unleashes an unknown terror into the world.
Like a relic of cinema past, either by mistake or design, Clock strikes you as very old-school filmmaking. Headed by Steven Speilberg's Amblin Entertainment production company, the 50s set and 70s written novel feels very lost in the 21st century. It seems caught between times and belonging to an indiscriminate yesteryear; with no deeper meaning or additional substance, it's a directionless experience that is constantly on the cusp of finding its feet but struggles to stand upright.
While no doubt entertaining for younger audiences bound to eat up the horror-comedy-fantasy amalgamation (as many of us did with likes of Hocus Pocus, Goosebumps, The Addams Family and a handful of Tim Burton movies), there's a distinct lack of depth for a more mature audience. It is unable to find anything timely to say and while parables aren't a necessity, they very often enhance genre work beyond its most basic form, where House appears content in sticking. As well as facing difficulty in bringing the story into the twenty-first century, Eric Kripke's screenplay also grapples with pacing; it runs out of energy by the middle act and while it begins to recover some of the momentum for the macabre finale, it is slack even at just 105 minutes. After clunkily recapping the doomsday clock scenario time and time again, it lands on a derivative, unconvincing conclusion that lacks coherence and clarity.
But if the buck for lacklustre execution has to stop with one person though, it would be director Eli Roth; ultimately, he is the wrong director to tackle what should be magical material and struggles to bring much personality to the film. It relies heavily on old-school, retro filmmaking gimmicks and despite intermittent success in harnessing some of the first act's majesty - and some suitably spooky set pieces towards the end - a sense of wonder is greatly needed to elevate House, but it is unsustained here. Hindered by the rather rote kid fantasy story (and some especially ropey special effects), Roth's direction tussles in finding a quirkiness or identity of his own, one that never swept me off my feet.
But if the buck for lacklustre execution has to stop with one person though, it would be director Eli Roth; ultimately, he is the wrong director to tackle what should be magical material and struggles to bring much personality to the film. It relies heavily on old-school, retro filmmaking gimmicks and despite intermittent success in harnessing some of the first act's majesty - and some suitably spooky set pieces towards the end - a sense of wonder is greatly needed to elevate House, but it is unsustained here. Hindered by the rather rote kid fantasy story (and some especially ropey special effects), Roth's direction tussles in finding a quirkiness or identity of his own, one that never swept me off my feet.
Thankfully, Jack Black and Cate Blanchett are on hand to deliver terrific performances which capitalise on the kookiness of the characters and the striking production design and costumes. When trading insults and lovingly sparring, the film is at its strongest, with a playfulness that will undoubtedly charm. Black is his typically goofy self while Blanchett is a certified scene-stealer, commanding a raw sense of emotion through her character arc that, while arguably undeserving, is sold confidently and convincingly. While admirable and without meaning to sound too harsh, Owen Vaccaro's performance is a mixed bag: he sells the big-eyed wonder and curiosity of Lewis, but often comes across too hysterical in the more emotionally-demanding moments.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls doesn't work as effectively as you may hope, failing to inspire a sense of magic and wonder that has so frequently led to effective genre filmmaking - but it is pleasant and watchable enough, particularly if you have children wishing to experience a diluted form of the horror genre in the lead up to Halloween. It very much feels like retro filmmaking in its tone and creation but that causes identity issues; it belongs neither here nor there and it hardly cries out for a theatrical viewing. It thrives when Black and Blanchett are scrapping and their tenacious efforts are a source of enjoyment, preventing the film from totally derailing as it begins to lose your concentration. The House With A Clock In Its Walls is enjoyable enough but with a director unsuited to this material at the helm, it doesn't tick over too smoothly.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls doesn't work as effectively as you may hope, failing to inspire a sense of magic and wonder that has so frequently led to effective genre filmmaking - but it is pleasant and watchable enough, particularly if you have children wishing to experience a diluted form of the horror genre in the lead up to Halloween. It very much feels like retro filmmaking in its tone and creation but that causes identity issues; it belongs neither here nor there and it hardly cries out for a theatrical viewing. It thrives when Black and Blanchett are scrapping and their tenacious efforts are a source of enjoyment, preventing the film from totally derailing as it begins to lose your concentration. The House With A Clock In Its Walls is enjoyable enough but with a director unsuited to this material at the helm, it doesn't tick over too smoothly.
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
(5/10)
Summary: As clunky as its title sounds, The House With A Clock in its Walls is a family-fantasy of yesterday that seems to belong neither here nor there; while the strength of its leads make it a finely entertaining experience, you shouldn't be in a race against time to see it.