Review of The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) by Hector V — 20 Sep 2018

Recently orphaned, ten-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) is taken in by his eccentric Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) and his kind neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett). After learning his caretakers are wielders of the magic arts, Lewis too trains to become a warlock and discover the source of his new home's mysterious ticking noise.

What pops up in your head when you think of modern "children's programming?" Probably stupid, flavorless, maybe even cynical stories of torpedoing color compensating for a lack of substance. Definitely not Eli Roth, a director infamous for his indulgently violent and gory movies. Well, to everyone's surprise, here comes Roth's latest film, "The House With a Clock in Its Walls", to the rescue, a fantastic throwback to the golden age of Amblin that captures the wonder, whimsy, and adventure Spielberg and crew's classic films so brightly shined with.

With a ten-year-old protagonist at its center, "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" is clearly aimed at a younger audience. Lewis is a bookworm that's picked last in gym class, bullied by jocks, and struggles to gain his peers' affection. Young Owen Vaccaro-as well as the other few child actors occasionally stepping into the spotlight-is full of glee and completely relatable as Lewis. Backed up by a giddy Uncle Jack Black and Cate Blanchett's troubled (with tasteful, compelling backstory in the background, really a great character), but compassionate neighbor, Mrs. Lewis, the cast is very child friendly, but nonetheless openly engaging for all ages.

Roth isn't afraid to get too dark or scary with the film's occult themes, though, pushing just far enough to unsettle or spook within the confines of a children's movie. In his time on and off screen, the great Kyle MacLachlan casts a genuinely creepy presence as the film's villain, Isaac Izard, a practitioner of forbidden blood magic and dark arts. Even then, Roth manages to offset the dark, spooky visuals with enough fantastical bits to balance out the fun.

Strong storytelling sensibilities with genuine mystery and full-circle payoffs create an intelligent, well-crafted narrative that treats its audience with reverence and respect. Beautifully decorated sets with endless plethoras of clocks, statues, and paintings, as well as a very Williams-esque musical score, also ensure the film doesn't feel like a throwaway-there's a clear love going into all facets of the film's creation.

There are a few minor blips that stick out and a perhaps overly long third act (though that seems to be the case in most movies these days, anyway), but "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" pulls through as an overall great movie good for kids and families alike.

Grade: A-.