78
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.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
63
You 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.
90
Housebound is a tad long, and its murder mystery a bit of a muddle, but that doesn’t matter. The final third is virtuoso.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by David Rooney
Gerard 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.
100
Housebound is that rare film that manages to be funny without defusing any of its scares.
70
Los Angeles Times by Gary Goldstein
The 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.
67
The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo
Housebound, 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.
63
McClatchy-Tribune News Service by Roger Moore
A clever and claustrophobic thriller that will trip you up and leave you with a wicked, blood-stained grin.
75
RogerEbert.com by Sheila O'Malley
Housebound is a standout, though, because of its satirical mood and its multiple scenes of almost screwball comedy.