The House With A Clock In Its Walls

Title: The House With A Clock In Its Walls (Rating)

Year: 2018

Running Time: 105 minutes

Director: Eli Roth

Cast: Jack Black (Jonathan Barnavelt), Cate Blanchett (Florence Zimmerman), Owen Vaccaro (Lewis Barnavelt)

Notes: None

Rating:  8

Thoughts:   A boy is sent to live with his uncle and discovers that his creaky house was once owned by an evil warlock.

Vaccaro plays his part well, a nerdish boy who is orphaned by a car crash and has little left. He conveys hopelessness and resilience in equal measure. After meeting the superbly eccentric Blanchett the film enters an exploration stage as he discovers the ticking on the walls.

At the heart of things is the often whacky Black, utterly suited for the role of oddball warlock uncle. We first meet him smashing the walls of the house to find a clock hidden by the previous owners, a married couple that were a warlock and a witch.

We then have some coming of age as Lewis begins learning magic and then has in-school issues. It all plays out well and leads to him summoning the deceased warlock.

The film really races along with an evil lot adding pressure and it culminates in an exciting end scene that still gets laughs, mainly from Black.

Whilst probably aimed at younger viewers there is still a lot to like for an older audience. The two adult leads present a superb backdrop for the younger star.