Housebound (2014)

Housebound is a sharp, genre-blending ride that mixes dark comedy, creeping horror, and a slow-burn mystery. The film follows Kylie Bucknell, a rebellious young woman sentenced to home detention and forced to move back into her childhood home with her chatty, superstitious mother, Miriam. What starts as a claustrophobic fish-out-of-water scenario quickly turns unsettling as Kylie — a skeptic at first — begins to hear whispers, feel bumps in the night, and suspect the house may be more than just an overactive imagination. Watching Housebound, you’ll get an unpredictable balance of laughs and genuine tension. The mother–daughter dynamic supplies much of the film’s comic heart, while the house itself becomes a character: cramped, familiar and increasingly eerie. The movie leans into classic haunted-house tropes but subverts them with witty dialogue, sharp character moments, and a steadily mounting mystery that keeps you guessing about what’s really going on. Expect jumpy, atmospheric horror beats rather than nonstop gore; moments of real fright are punctuated by clever twists and lighter, often awkwardly funny scenes. The pacing alternates between investigative sequences — as Kylie tries to uncover the truth — and contained, suspenseful set pieces that exploit the limits of her home-bound punishment to create tension. If you like horror that isn’t afraid to be funny, or comedies that can also make you jump out of your seat, Housebound delivers a satisfying blend. It’s a compact, entertaining watch for viewers who enjoy character-driven scares, a slow-unraveling mystery, and a tone that shifts seamlessly between creepy and comedic.

Actors: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru

Director: Gerard Johnstone

Runtime: 107 min

Genres: Comedy, Horror, Mystery

5.7 /10 76 /100 6.7 /10 6.7 /10