The House of Yes

Movie review by Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media
The House of Yes Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Incest is the core of dysfunctional family dramedy.

R 1997 85 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 16+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

No reviews yet.

Add your rating

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the heart of The House of Yes is an incestuous relationship between twins. They're seen once engaging in sex, and the scene eroticizes both the incest itself and the violence of the Kennedy assassination (reenacting it leads to sex). Their mother turns a blind eye to their flirtatious and suggestive behavior. Parental abandonment, murder, and mental illness are tied together with the incest and overall extreme dysfunction, and the movie ends bleakly with an off-camera suggestion of further tragedy. There is profanity, including "f--k," and young adults drink alcohol.

Community Reviews

J T.
J T. Adult
October 31, 2022
age 18+
This is not a movie that anyone should watch, especially not kids!

This title has:

Too much sex
BestPicture1996
BestPicture1996 Adult
March 18, 2015
age 14+

More like "House of Nooooo...."

I had to read Wendy MacLeod's play for my English class, and was thoroughly intrigued by it, if not just because of the rapid fire dialogue and how the characters seemingly switched topics every few seconds. But the play version came off as witty, if disturbing without really addressing the incestual relationship in depth (which I guess is kinda good because saying the word makes me shiver). But the movie feels JUST like a play except for some inspired opening and closing scenes, which I wish director Mark Waters had given that sort of attention to style to the other scenes. You already have strong source, now add some pizzaz to it! Nobody really did anything for me except Parker Posey, who speaks sort of like a psychotic robot in how she acts and talks, trying to feign normalcy to keep from scaring away her twin and his fiancee, but the tagline of this film should be: "you can't fix crazy!" See it if you like the play or you liked seeing Posey in Christopher Guest's films and you want to see more of what she can do. If both of those things disinterest you, skip this entirely.

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When Marty (Josh Hamilton) unexpectedly brings a fiancée (Tori Spelling) home for Thanksgiving, his twin sister (Parker Posey), nicknamed Jackie-O for her obsession with the former First Lady, is unable to disguise her jealousy. As Marty and Jackie-O are drawn back into their incestuous relationship, past secrets come to light. Can Jackie-O's fragile mental and emotional state withstand the truth about their past?

Is It Any Good?

The greatest strength of THE HOUSE OF YES is the acting, with entertaining turns from all the principal cast members (yes, even Tori Spelling). Unfortunately, the screenplay adaptation from a play makes it hard to fully engage with the characters. A lot of dialogue has a play-like feel, as though it was lifted verbatim, and in a film this comes across as stilted and unrealistic despite the actors' talent. Couple that with a distasteful central theme that's not really explored in depth and seems to be there mostly to titillate, and this film doesn't add up to being worth your time.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why movies explore "forbidden" topics such as incest. Are movies an appropriate way to look at such issues? Why, or why not?

  • Do you think Jackie-O is genuinely mentally ill, or is Lesly right in thinking she's just spoiled? How does the movie show you Jackie's feelings and state of mind?

  • The House of Yes is based on a play. Why do you think the filmmaker chose to turn this story into a movie?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

Themes & Topics

Browse titles with similar subject matter.

  • Cartoon picture of a sister and brother holding hands
    Brothers and Sisters
    See all

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate