[31 Days of Halloween 2016: HOUSEBOUND is now available on home video, VOD, and Netflix instant.]
Review by Joseph Anthony
Once in a while you end up picking a movie on Netflix to watch with
zero expectations, and end up having a blast. HOUSEBOUND, the 2014 New Zealand
film written and directed by Gary Johnstone is one such film.
Review by Joseph Anthony
HOUSEBOUND is a hybrid of horror and comedy, heavy on the
comedy, even if the movie begins like a heist film. At the start Kylie
Bucknell (Morgana O’Reilly) unsuccessfully attempts to rob an ATM. She has
had her fair share of trouble throughout her life, but this time she is placed
under house arrest. This means living with her happy-go lucky mother Miriam,
hilariously played by Rima Te Wiata, and her stepfather. Eight months of house
arrest wouldn’t be so bad, but getting stuck with her mom and stepfather seems
like pure hell for her. It’s clear there is a strain on the relationship between
mother and daughter. Kylie seems particularly annoyed with her mom’s
insistence that their home is haunted. Miriam even calls local radio stations to
talk about it.
