Housebound (2014)

Director: Gerard Johnstone

Starring: Morgana O’Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru

A young woman is forced to return to her childhood home after being placed under house arrest, where she suspects that something evil may be lurking.

Well now, this was a nice surprise from New Zealand. We’ve seen movies before where the protagonist is placed under house arrest (100 Feet, Disturbia, etc), but this was a haunted house story with a difference. We have a rebellious young women, pushover parents, a suspicious neighbor, a man living within the walls of the house, a few twists, genuine scares and laugh out loud moments.

The film has very good cinematography and excellent sound effects. The acting is also very good, especially Rima Te Wiata as the mother. The daughter is by far the strongest character, played by Morgana O’Reilly, and it was nice to see her transition from rebel to hero. The film has a fantastic blend of humor and horror, with some nail biting suspense moment in the mix as well. The film turned more comedic towards the end, but it was thoroughly enjoyable and very effective.