Paperhouse

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Pauline G I thought it was great Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/03/24 Full Review Darla P This movie sucked! Not sure why it has such high ratings... Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/03/24 Full Review Peter G This is one unique fantasy film unlike any other & concerns an ill pre-adolescent girl who while recovering from an ill defined physiological condition begins making drawings of a house, eventually visiting it in her dreams & adding features as she continues exploring it inside as well. In the house she meets young boy who does not at first seem to be able to leave it. In her waking state she hears about a seriously ill boy & develops a psychological connection with him although neither having met each other. Through her dreams she learns the boys name which is the same as the dying boy in her waking state. All this is developed in beautifully touching & moving manner with some wonderful music from the Faure Requiem added where appropriate. Charlotte Burke as the young girl & Elliot Spears as the boy develop a unique chemistry & in Burke's case this turned out to be her only film & she since has chosen to pursue a different career entirely. Apparently PAPERHOUSE has later become a cult film & shortly after it came out a colleague recommended it to me otherwise I may have missed it entirely since it, despite some fine reviews, was not, at first, seen by many. The film has my highest recommendation & after more than 30 years remains a memorable viewing experience. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/22/23 Full Review Taylor L Paperhouse is an interesting premise - a young girl that draws a sickly young man and his house in a notebook, only to discover that she can interact with both in her dreams - but it's mostly undone by a pesky main character (a combination of the writing and an underwhelming performance from child actress Charlotte Burke), weird audio mixing, and some budget limitations. The dreamworld setting is actually really intriguing, reflecting the emotional volatility of Burke's Anna as she balances her own identity and desires with a sense of angst, particularly with respect to her largely absent father (who appears as a threatening silhouette banging on the door or hanging in the shadows). The interiors go from a bit whimsical (emulating the child's drawing that inspires them) to pure dark fantasy territory, with crumbling walls and chipped plaster. With an early-career Hans Zimmer contributing an '80s synthwave-through-a-broken-radio vibe to the soundtrack, this film really delivers on atmosphere, and delivers unique thriller elements to a coming-of-age story. The execution is definitely lacking here, showing the weaknesses of a small budget apart from the unique aesthetic, but there is an excellent film here trying to break free from the iffy execution - a dark fantasy about maturity with the potential to disturb. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review colin m An interesting idea, reasonably well executed. I wasn't keen on the ending. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review dustin d Paperhouse depicts an archetypal story of a girl whose physical illness and dysfunctional relationship with her ogre father won't get better until she sorts herself out mentally. Every shot is meaningful and beautifully composed. It is intense and emotionally satisfying. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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