Even movies like Requiem for a Dream and Midnight Express contain more laughs than The House.

| Original Score: 1/4 | Sep 22, 2021

The stars play the hands they've been dealt as best they can, but the script is so feeble that it's no wonder the film is a bust.

| Original Score: 1/5 | Dec 20, 2020

Unless you're new to the Will Ferrell or Amy Poehler school of humor, this is as generic a "comedy" as you might expect.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Oct 10, 2019

They say the House always wins. Unfortunately, that's not the case in this hit-and-miss comedy from first-time director (and co-writer) Andrew Jay Cohen, but there are still some guilty-pleasure laughs to be had along the way.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 1, 2019

The House is a strange and surprisingly dark film, a funny movie whose humor comes from unexpected places.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 12, 2019

It's not a shining example of a great comedy, but The House is funny and creative enough to mildly recommend if you're looking to switch your brain off for 90 minutes.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 20, 2018

An honourable failure, "The House" needs more jokes but has an interesting bleakness (and a terrific cameo from Jeremy Renner as a mafia boss) that makes it worth a look. Just never forget that The House always wins.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 19, 2018

Unfortunately, the hand that was dealt The House is a royal flush - but not the winning hand every poker player dreams of being dealt. Nope, it's the humorless kind. The kind that swirls down the comedy commode.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Nov 11, 2018

[The House] has just about enough worthwhile gags to hold your attention.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Nov 11, 2018

It's an interesting premise, but then when you watch the execution, it's awkward. Not a lot of laughs.

| Jan 25, 2018

In a year in which studio comedies failed on so many levels, The House was surprisingly okay and there's nothing wrong with that.

| Dec 31, 2017

Cohen just can't seem to make the tonal shifts work, and the film falls prey to some cringe-inducing scenes in its second half.

| Dec 28, 2017

...what happens when improvisation runs out of steam.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Dec 20, 2017

Also, for as energetic and outlandish as Will Ferrell is, it's Jason Mantzoukas that winds up stealing the whole movie, matching and surpassing his co-star in every way. The house does indeed always win, even if the rewards here are slim at best

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 5, 2017

Despite a worthy cast and a fun premise, this comedy feels like a missed opportunity.

| Original Score: 2.0/4 | Oct 31, 2017

The setup of The House is so bleak that its humor by necessity must be scathing in response. But The House doesn't want to be scathing, it wants Ferrell to do his man-baby thing while Poehler struts around with a butane kitchen torch.

| Oct 16, 2017

A scattershot mess that's unsatisfying, despite showing signs of real potential.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 11, 2017

Unfortunately, this collaboration is not one of their best.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 19, 2017

Despite two talented leads, The House suffers from a script that doesn't utilize their talents, ultimately becoming forgettable as a result.

| Sep 10, 2017

The most insulting comedies are the ones that feel like glorified cast retreats.

| Original Score: 1/10 | Jul 27, 2017