The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)

The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)

 6/10

Starring

Jack Black

Cate Blanchett

Owen Vaccaro

Directed by Eli Roth

The movie is based on the 1973 novel of the same name by John Bellairs. The book was the first in a series of twelve, and I wonder if this movie had been more profitable, maybe we would have seen a sequel. The film is a dark fantasy with just enough comedy, but the gaps in between allow boredom to creep in as you watch. It doesn’t strike me as a must-see, but rather as one of those movies where the actors did their best with subpar material.

Even the effects feel average—better than what you’d see in B-movies, but not quite enough for a dark fantasy film. There seemed to be less reliance on effects than I expected (except during the magic scenes). The movie also had wasted characters who served only one purpose. You’re left wondering if the story would have been just fine without them—for example, the antagonist’s wife.

The plot revolves around Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), a young boy who recently lost his parents. All he has left of them is a Magic 8-ball they gave him and a photograph. Now, he has to live with his uncle Jonathan (Jack Black), who is as odd as they come. We’re also introduced to Florence (Cate Blanchett), Jonathan’s neighbor and best friend, who seems to come and go from the house as she pleases.

After an odd first night, the second night leads Lewis to discover there’s something Jonathan isn’t telling him. When he catches Jonathan hacking away at a wall with an axe, his panic forces Jonathan to open up a little.

We learn that Jonathan is a warlock, and Florence has magic too. There’s a clock hidden in the house, and they’re trying to find it. Lewis immediately wants to learn magic, and Jonathan agrees to teach him. However, there’s one rule in the house: Lewis must stay away from a locked cabinet. Of course, it’s not hard to guess that Lewis breaks that rule, unleashing chaos.

We see Lewis, as a typical child, trying to impress other kids at school so they’ll befriend him. Meanwhile, Jonathan struggles with raising his sister’s child, something he’s clearly never done before. Lewis’s mistake unleashes a dangerous foe—someone Jonathan fears could bring about the end of everything as we know it.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls is one of those forgettable movies that you’ll watch and, sometime later, find yourself wondering what even happened in it.