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Parents' Guide to

Dream House

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Muddled, weird thriller has disturbing violence.

Movie PG-13 2011 92 minutes
Dream House Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

age 13+

Really quite good.

I wasn't sure if I'd like this movie, but I finally gave it shot and it was actually pretty good! I admit it turned strange and confusing about half way through, I didn't fully understand the story, but I still liked it and will happily watch it again. It's a psychological type thriller with a twist towards the mid-end. About a man who decides to quit his job so he can spend all the time in the world with his wife and daughters he loves dearly in their new house. After a while, he discovers some disturbing facts about a murder that took place in their dream house and keeps noticing that a mysterious man is always looking at their house, at night. Like a stalker. When he later learns more disturbing news, his life isn't really what it seems after all. I like the storyline and the characters were very genuine. It is also sad. Violence has shootings, murders and discussion of a murder. Two kid sisters become brutally ill and die with gory wounds shown. An explosion and arguing between characters. Sexual content is mild - a married couple kiss and one scene of playfully making out in bed. Language isn't too bad with common words like one "f' word and some uses of sh*t, @sshole, Goddamn...etc. Overall, chilling film with an excellent cast! Good for mature 13 and up.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (10 ):

It's possible to see, somewhere in the fabric of this weird, overwrought misfire, that a good movie might once have been possible. Director Jim Sheridan, a six-time Oscar nominee for My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, and In America, is normally quite good with stories about families. But it appears that neither he, nor screenwriter David Loucka, nor the editors, had any idea where this story starts, where it goes, and when it ends.

As a result, Dream House appears to climax somewhere in the middle, and many of the actors and their characters are left stranded. Poor Craig must suffer a strange change of hairstyle every few minutes, and Watts' character -- it turns out -- has very little to do with anything. Moreover, there's no attempt to create any red herrings, and the mystery stalls. Even the rules behind the supernatural elements are ignored. Finally, the emotional content is so ridiculously over-pitched that audiences are liable to laugh at this family's misfortunes.

Movie Details

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