Review Housebound 2014
Summary
Kylie Bucknell, a young woman with a troubled past, attempts to rob an ATM but gets caught by the police. Given her history of offenses, she’s sentenced to eight months of house arrest under the supervision of her mother, Miriam. Kylie doesn’t get along with Miriam or her stepfather, Graeme. A security contractor, Amos, explains that her ankle monitor will alert the police if she leaves her mother’s property.
Kylie grows increasingly frustrated when Miriam insists the house is haunted. After a creepy hand grabs her in the basement, Kylie suspects an intruder. Amos takes Miriam’s ghost claims seriously and promises to return with ghost-hunting gear. A series of strange, unexplained events leads Kylie to wonder if there really is a ghost. Dennis, Kylie’s clinical psychologist, grows concerned about what he believes are delusions in both Miriam and Kylie. Graeme reveals their home was once a halfway house where a gruesome murder took place. They uncover evidence of the crime, including an orthodontic retainer.
When Kylie and Amos learn her neighbor uses a retainer, Kylie breaks into his house to investigate. After fleeing back home and hiding in the basement, she panics and accidentally stabs Graeme. Amos plans to confront the neighbor, but the neighbor insists he’s not the killer. He shares the story of Eugene, a young savant he took in, skilled in mechanics and electronics, who vanished a year before the murder—though the neighbor suspects Eugene was involved.
Kylie discovers Eugene’s secret passageways in their house. She and Amos head to the police station, where Amos backs her wild claims about a serial killer living in hidden corridors. The police find no evidence, and Dennis convinces everyone that Kylie should be institutionalized. When Dennis reveals he wears a retainer, Kylie grows suspicious. Confronting him with evidence he was an intern at the halfway house, Dennis tries to kill Miriam and Kylie while incapacitating Amos. Kylie and Miriam escape into the secret tunnels, where they encounter Eugene.
Realizing Eugene has been behind the house’s “supernatural” activity, they’re initially terrified but soon see he’s harmless. Dennis stabs Eugene, knocks out Kylie, and starts strangling Miriam. Eugene revives Kylie, handing her a weapon she uses to stab Dennis. Eugene flips a switch, and a high-voltage surge blows up Dennis’s head. Months later, everyone has recovered, Amos removes Kylie’s ankle monitor, and Eugene seems to have become an accepted, if elusive, part of the family.
Exploring the Content
At its core, the film doesn’t fully lean into the supernatural, nor does it dive headfirst into action or suspense. Instead, it focuses on psychological tension, a creepy atmosphere, family bonds, and unraveling a decades-old crime. This is where the movie shines. It’s not a true horror film, but its solid storytelling saves it. The confined setting, light satire, and humor contribute to its success, earning it praise even if it’s not outright mockery or laugh-out-loud comedy.
Speaking of satire and humor, they’re subtle here—unlike the over-the-top Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010). Housebound feels a bit more grounded, with moments like Amos’s bumbling cop antics providing the laughs. It leans toward comedic drama rather than the grim, self-important tone of other horror films that try too hard to scare.
The story is remarkably tight, with little to criticize. If anything, it’s not exceptional in delivering intense horror, heart-pounding psychological thrills, or action-packed chases. The film’s gentleness might be a drawback—it’s so mild that even those with faint hearts can watch without fear. A key scene where Eugene, Kylie, and Miriam hide in a small room to escape Dennis stands out. Instead of plotting an escape or disabling Kylie’s tracker, they talk about Kylie’s childhood and her estrangement from her family. This emotional shift transforms Kylie into a kinder person, but it feels like a missed opportunity for tension. Another nitpick: the film has a stage-play vibe, which might make it feel less serious to some viewers.
Horror and Suspense
Housebound 2014 isn’t as horror-focused as I expected. It leans into psychological satire, exploring parent-child conflicts, uncovering a past murder, and evading a killer tying up loose ends. These elements are cloaked in a faux-supernatural vibe that keeps you on edge. No ghosts appear, but the suspense and quiet atmosphere carry the film, bolstered by characters with hidden depths—like Kylie’s parents, the neighbor, and the break-in sparked by suspicions about the murder. The neighbor’s story about Eugene and the chase with Dennis add layers.
These pseudo-horror thrills make Housebound more gripping than many so-called horror films with weak stories, like The Gallows (2015). While it hits horror beats, the director chose a humane, meaningful path over pure scares. The supernatural and horror elements are present but don’t aim to terrify or haunt you.
In Conclusion
Long story short, Housebound 2014 is a slightly comedic, mildly creepy gem worth watching. In an era of lackluster horror and unfunny comedies, it stands out. I’d recommend it alongside Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) for a refreshing take on the genre.
