The House With a Clock in Its Walls

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2:29

The House With a Clock in Its Walls

PG

Released Sep 21, 2018

1h 45m

Fantasy

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

219 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Ten-year-old Lewis goes to live with his oddball uncle in a creaky old house that contains a mysterious ticktock noise. He soon learns that Uncle Jonathan and his feisty neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman, are powerful practitioners of the magic arts. When Lewis accidentally awakens the dead, the town's sleepy facade suddenly springs to life -- revealing a secret and dangerous world of witches, warlocks and deadly curses.

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Critics Consensus

An entertaining PG detour for gore maestro Eli Roth, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a family-friendly blend of humor and horror with an infectious sense of fun.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Jack Black (playing the uncle) and Cate Blanchett (as his best friend and partner in magic) are usually welcome screen presences, but they seem embarrassed and undirected here, and the less said about the child actors, the better.

Mar 4, 2020

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Emily Yoshida

New York Magazine/Vulture

I found my attention wandering.

Jan 7, 2019

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

I feel like Eli Roth kind of revitalized himself with this picture...I'd love to see what else he can do with this kind of film.

Rated: B

Sep 28, 2018

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Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

Not only does it see weirdness as something to celebrate, but it, through many of its characters, assures young audiences not to fret over the past.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

Mike Thorn

Vague Visages

Emerging from a preceding filmography of viciously abrasive and almost ceaselessly offensive films, The House with a Clock in Its Walls sees Roth re-examining his interest in genre cinema.

Dec 12, 2023

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

While the film is more focused on men than women (like the book), Jack Black and Cate Blanchett make a surprisingly compelling comedic team. While some of the jokes are pretty juvenile, the flights of fancy make this a spooky good time.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 3, 2023

Full Review

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Iamwhoi M

I'm more of a serial killer movies kind of person; but this is a cute movie for the family. The relationship between the two adult leads is fun. So are the pumpkins. I wouldn't have pegged this foe an Eli Roth film! The gym scene at the end is very cute too.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

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Madam D

For a family dark fantasy this was pretty entertaining. The 3 main actors did a great job & kept me smiling.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Entertaining but predictable, it's still a good product tho

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

Full Review

Yuri B

This wasn't bad. I was a bit surprised. To me it seemed to start off really slow, but it picked up... & Cate Blanchett was an absolute gem. Sincerely loved her character so much.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

Full Review

Megan B

I first watched this movie when I was seven, in the movie theaters. It to this day gives me nightmares. It should not be listed under kids movies. I feel like 12 years would be more appropriate. I don’t remember how much sense the plot made since all I remember was being scared for my life, crying as well as seeing my older sister shaking because of her fear of dolls. It wasn’t exactly a fun experience. I can’t recommend scaring kids into fearing clocks for four years. I couldn’t be alone with my mom’s wrist watch without getting anxious. That’s how much that movie “traumatized” (it didn’t actually cause trauma but you know what I mean) me.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/29/24

Full Review

TROY S

Good cast, good special effects & interesting storyline, yet it lacked story depth & attention to story details. If had been done right, the story could have been better than mediocre. First and foremost this story is about 3 people in search for love, family and finding where one belongs.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/20/24

Full Review

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Eli Roth

Director

Jack Black

Jonathan Barnavelt

Cate Blanchett

Florence Zimmerman

Owen Vaccaro

Lewis Barnavelt

Kyle MacLachlan

Isaac Izard

Renée Elise Goldsberry

Selena Izard

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - Raising The Dead

2:58

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - What A Little Weird Can Do

3:45

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - Betrayal of the Living Dead

3:43

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - The House Likes You

3:19

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - Smashing Pumpkins

1:36

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - Stopping The Clock

3:14

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - Broken Magic

4:04

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - I'm A Warlock

3:11

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - Now I'm Indomitable

2:15

The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Official Clip - Baby Jonathan

2:38

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The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Behind the Scenes - A lot of Clocks

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The House With a Clock in Its Walls: Trailer 2

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Synopsis

Ten-year-old Lewis goes to live with his oddball uncle in a creaky old house that contains a mysterious ticktock noise. He soon learns that Uncle Jonathan and his feisty neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman, are powerful practitioners of the magic arts. When Lewis accidentally awakens the dead, the town's sleepy facade suddenly springs to life -- revealing a secret and dangerous world of witches, warlocks and deadly curses.

Director: Eli Roth
Producer: Bradley J. Fischer, James Vanderbilt, Eric Kripke
Screenwriter: Eric Kripke
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Mythology Entertainment
Rating: PG (Rude Humor|Language|Thematic Elements|Scary Images|Some Action|Sorcery)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 21, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 27, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $68.5M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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