76
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100HitfixDrew McWeenyHitfixDrew McWeenyHousebound is that rare film that manages to be funny without defusing any of its scares.
- 90Village VoiceChuck WilsonVillage VoiceChuck WilsonHousebound is a tad long, and its murder mystery a bit of a muddle, but that doesn’t matter. The final third is virtuoso.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyGerard Johnstone, a first-time writer-director from New Zealand, demonstrates a sly command of deadpan humor along with an assured grasp of seasoned horror tropes.
- Housebound nimbly jumps through the hoops of horror tropes, inventively subverting them along the way. The fact that it sticks the landing is a testament to Johnstone’s solid script and direction.
- 75RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyRogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyHousebound is a standout, though, because of its satirical mood and its multiple scenes of almost screwball comedy.
- 70Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinThe mishmash that results is by turns creepy, silly, inventive, darkly funny and, at one point, mind-blowingly bloody. Still, some smart streamlining would have sharpened the focus and amped up the power of this well-shot and edited spookfest.
- 67The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloHousebound, a horror comedy from New Zealand, tries another tack: Its protagonist doesn’t leave because she legally can’t. The movie doesn’t get nearly as much mileage from this concept as it might have, getting bogged down in an increasingly silly plot having nothing to do with house arrest, but the premise does at least justify a hilariously antisocial leading lady.
- 63Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenYou grow to feel as if you're arbitrarily changing the channel back and forth from a diverting horror film to a promising odd-couple comedy.
- 63McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMcClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreA clever and claustrophobic thriller that will trip you up and leave you with a wicked, blood-stained grin.