Review of the house
The House, Netflix's first year-end release, is a stop motion miniseries that tells three stories set in one large home. Each short is helmed by a different director, but they all share an uncanny sense of dread and spookiness.
Nexus Studios' The House anthology is the latest in a long line. It's the latest in a series of projects that have come from the UK-based studio (which also produced Billie Eilish’s Happier than Ever animated special). Each of its three segments, each lasting half an hour, focuses on different aspects in the same house.
Chapter one is set in 1900s. It tells the story of a poor family who moves into a house that seems to bring evil luck and bad luck to its inhabitants. It's a slow-burning tale with an Wes Anderson feel. With a stop-motion aesthetic as strong as the Ray Harryhausen films, Salad Fingers, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Salad Fingers, it has a Wes Anderson vibe.
The House isn’t just a dark comedy. Instead, it’s an arthouse-style miniseries asking you to think. It does this in a way that is often surprising, but always rewarding.
This is a creepy, funny, unsettling and ultimately hopeful piece of cinema that's bound to stick with you for some time after the credits roll. And it's certainly worth a watch, with its engrossing story beats and modern stop motion animation.
The House, aside from its gallows humors and shock value is one of the most visually appealing stop motion films outside of Laika. Each chapter is meticulously designed, from the flocked figurines in the second story to felt characters in the first.
The House's look is a throwback to 1980s Epoch Sylvanian Families and is a welcome sight to stop-motion animation fans. The chapters one and two have felt characters, which adds to the sense of fear. The second chapter is filled with lifelike stop-motion characters, which are delightful for those who love stop motion films.
The House has its strengths, but it is not perfect. It can't quite overcome some of the minor shortcomings of its stories, which often substitute the surreal for more logical plot elements, while a sprinkling of sarcastic humor at the wrong moment makes for an uneven and ultimately unsatisfying finale. Fans of stop-motion animation and dark comedy, including those who are fans of Wes Anderson, David Firth, or Tim Burton, should still check it out.