Parents' Guide to Housebound

Movie NR 2014 107 minutes
Housebound movie poster: As if posing for a family portrait, we see Kylie in the bottom center, her mother Miriam behind her to our left, Miriam's husband Graeme behind her and to the right, and then a mysterious hooded figure to his right, with a hand on Kylie's shoulder. A tagline reads: "Terror gets domesticated."

Common Sense Media Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson By Jeffrey M. Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Lots of gore in clever New Zealand ghost/murder story.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Housebound Trailer
  • Housebound: Kylie (Morgana O'Reilly), wearing a white t-shirt, bolts up in bed, seemingly scared by something.
  • Housebound: Miriam (Rima Te Wiata, left) and Kylie (Morgana O'Reilly) stand in front of wood paneling, shocked expressions on their faces.
  • Housebound: An intense Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) uses a flashlight to go through some old papers.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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What's the Story?

In HOUSEBOUND, small-time thief Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O'Reilly) is arrested after a bungled robbery and sentenced to house arrest in her childhood home, under the care of her chatty mother, Miriam (Rima Te Wiata). Security man Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) explains how her ankle bracelet works, and that any attempt to leave the property or tamper with the device will send him a signal. Kylie is immediately miserable, but things get worse when strange things start happening, like a toy bear seemingly attacking her or doors mysteriously opening by themselves. Amos, an amateur paranormal investigator, jumps in to help. They discover that their home used to be a halfway house and that a young girl was brutally murdered there. Could it be her ghost trying to communicate? Or something more sinister?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Combining a ghost hunt and murder story with a craftily wry sense of humor and genuinely likable, broken characters, this horror/thriller has good scares and atmosphere, but it also has heart. The feature writing and directing debut of New Zealander Gerard Johnstone -- who went on to make M3GAN -- Housebound is almost relaxed in its confidence. Its opening scene, the botched robbery, is a brilliant masterclass in how to get a point across using only visuals and sounds -- the first sound we hear, the car scraping over a speed bump in a parking lot, is crucial. The scene is also a great introduction to the unflappable Kylie, whose first reaction to most things is an eye roll, an exasperated sigh, or a barked profanity. But when she gets to her mother's house, we begin to truly understand her, and their relationship. Amos is a great character as well, a nerd, but comfortable in his own skin. When these folks begin tackling their intruder problem, it's engaging, because we know them. Plus, they're not scaredy-cats. Even the final line spoken in Housebound is pitch-perfect. It may not win over non-genre fans, but for others, it's worth seeking out.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Housebound's depiction of violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • Was the movie scary? What is the appeal of scary movies? Why do people like to be scared?

  • Discuss the language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the film?

  • Did Kylie find redemption in this story? If so, how?

  • How were alcohol, smoking, and drugs depicted in this movie? Were they glamorized? Were there consequences?

Movie Details

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Housebound movie poster: As if posing for a family portrait, we see Kylie in the bottom center, her mother Miriam behind her to our left, Miriam's husband Graeme behind her and to the right, and then a mysterious hooded figure to his right, with a hand on Kylie's shoulder. A tagline reads: "Terror gets domesticated."

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