The House

With imagery that seems to recall nightmares everyone seems to have at some point, The House is actively engaging and eye-catching. At first.

The movie is actually an anthology with three episodes set in the same house, in different decades and with different types of characters. The first chapter is the best one, with a fully thought-out concept that is clichéd but very effective. The ending is somewhat unsatisfying, leaves the viewer wanting for more in the same way watching a movie trailer does.

The second episode is wayy less effective. Thematically and plot-wise, there seems to be no connection between the episodes. Worse than that, the ideas they seem to have wanted to explore feel only hinted at. After the second episode, I just gave up. Overall, first chapter is worth watching if only for the spooky atmosphere and engaging story. The second chapter destroys whatever promise the first one showed. Having top notch production values does not make up for lack of plot and faulty writing.

I just finished my first 2022 title, and it was hypnotically weird "The House" streaming on Netflix and produced by Nexus Studios, i can't recommend it enough. It is wildly ambitious triptych, which uses stop motion animation to explore peculiar inhabitants in a house through different periods of time and worlds. All the stories take place at the same house, across different eras exploring the theme of home, capitalism, existential crisis, dreams and emptiness as the living are reduced to inanimate entities.

In Emma de Swaef & Marc James Roels opening act, "And Heard Within. A Lie Is Spun," it is a gothic tale with all the classic haunted house genre troupes. We follow the Raymond family who abandon their modest lifestyle and relocate to a luxurious mansion nearby, it belongs to Van Schoonbeek, a mysterious and faceless architect. What follows is the supernatural drama which is developed in a very interesting labyrinth like narrative. There are so many moments but everything is presented with an indispensable horror subtext. Even the furniture and the mundanity of Raymond family does accentuate the atmosphere of the film. It is normal but disturbing with eerie soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla. My pick and my favourite in this three-part anthological film.

The second chapter, directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr's is titled "Then Lost is Truth that Can't be Won," set in the modern world, at the centre of the story is an anthropomorphic rat. He is now the developer for the Van Schoonbeek's estate and desperately hopes for a good buyer. He is disillusioned with the way his life unfolds and is bombarded with calls from the bank. He is enthusiastic about the unannounced visit of a couple who show interest to buy the house but later finds out their motive. This leads to all sorts of miscommunication and strife with the strange visitors. From there, a Kafkaesque labyrinth is built based on the home invasion genre and it is impossible for the protagonist to recover. The existential crisis increases with the passing of days, it turns out the person (darling) who he speaks over phone is his dentist. He is plagued by bugs and in the midst of all the stuff, there is Busby Berkeley-esque dance number for the vermin. It is funny and sad but never taking itself too seriously but reveals the obsession which cost the protagonist everything. In order to not give away everything, i don't want to reveal much.

The concluding chapter, directed by Paloma Baeza "Listen Again and Seek The Sun" is set in a post-apocalyptic flooded wasteland and the setting serves as the backdrop for the Van Schoonbeek estate. A fed-up landlady (Rosa) has to put up with the antics of her laid back tenants - Jen and Elias who never pay their rent in money but through crystal stone and fish. Jen is visited by her partner Cosmos and this irks Rosa. Nevertheless, she agrees to offer accommodation in return to restore the dilapidated house. This decision turns the life of the landlady completely upside down resulting in a bittersweet ending. This chapter is a hodgepodge and doesn't seem to fit with the tone of the previous two. It also blends humour and emotion well with little room for surrealism.

Minor quibbles aside, i'm happy that Netflix backed this experiment. I was surprised when a niche series like Brand New Cherry Flavor was sold to the mainstream. I was so impressed with The Summit of the Gods (2021) and The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021). I hope they can assemble many more such experiments and balance it with a commercially clickbait titles too.

Overall, If you are into stop-motion animation, this is a must watch. Those who can appreciate surrealism from a purely visual point of view, i bet you won't be disappointed by this film. If you happen to love this, i recommend a list of underrated filmmakers who have some amazing stop motion titles to their credit: Lee Hardcastle, Robert Morgan, Christiane Cegavske, Jirí Barta, Regina Pessoa, Suzan Pitt, Tadanari Okamoto, Tomoki Misato, Izabela Plucinska, Siqi Song, Daria Kashcheeva, Jan Balej, Dave Borthwick, Martha Colburn, Phil Tippett, Cesar Cabral, Katariina Lillqvist, Takeshi Yashiro, Jirí Trnka, Brothers Quay, Len Lye, Anna Solanas, Bruce Bickford, Marc Riba, Jan Lenica, Keita Kurosaka, Ujicha, Joaquín Cocina and Cristobal Leon worth checking out in that regards.

Lovely animation that perfectly suits the tone of the three stories. I was especially unsettled while watching the first story. Darkly funny, enjoyably uncomfortable, and I like that not every little question is answered (for example: who exactly is the builder of the house?). If you liked Love Death & Robots, give this a go.

I hate this house.

Three stories that are only related through the same house.

What impressed me the most was the cinematography and music. Even though it's an animation, the camera shots and lightning was incredible. The music amplified the frustration from the characters and made me feel uneasy about the house. Aesthetically this movie was beautiful.

The art style also made the house felt like a character: even though it's beautiful on the outside, it's all sort of weirdness on the inside. This led to the absurd yet entertaining stories. They all started with a situation that could happen in real life, but then became exaggerated metaphorically. The second story was my favorite. It sure was nasty, but also ridiculous and funny.

Overall, it's a well-crafted and bizarre piece of work. This is what art-house cinema is haha. 7.5/10.

I was not all all familiar with The House when I noticed it on Netflix, yet was drawn to check it out, and am very glad that I did. It's a very interesting and charming film anthology of stop-animation. The three stories and characters are all unique and distinct from one another except for this house that ties them together. The animation is excellent, the score is solid, and the stories engaging and thought provoking. I total surprise delight for me.