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.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 14, 2024

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

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.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 3, 2023

I did enjoy this movies despite its faults. I think it was a good first attempt at a non-R rated movie for Eli Roth...

| Original Score: B- | Mar 8, 2023

Roth's work here is occasionally fun and not quite scary, and its genial characters divert our attention, though they don't leave a lasting impression.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 11, 2022

[Cate Blanchett and Jack Black] are amazing together, I wasn't expecting that.

| Oct 13, 2021

Once The House With A Clock In Its Walls kicks in, it's good, silly fun, a throwback to the good time horror films of 1980s Amblin flicks.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Mar 1, 2021

None of it is bad, really, it's just so uninspired.

| Feb 9, 2021

The story suffers from random uses of magic, which never have solid foundations or definitions, managing to be conjured up in the heat of the moment.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 7, 2020

A definite crowd-pleaser. Parents shouldn't get too bored and kids will love the humor and all of the effects and set pieces that go in to creating the film's magic.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 5, 2020

Barely rises above mediocrity on the strength of Blanchett's inspired performance.

| Original Score: 2.5/4.0 | Sep 11, 2020

The beats are familiar, and there's something comforting about it, but ultimately isn't that involving and surprisingly a little bland.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 28, 2020

It's more like a kids' movie from the mid aughts than the golden age of Spielberg, poor CGI and all.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 25, 2020

Wackiness is used in place of actual jokes.

| Original Score: 4/10 | Jul 18, 2020

Being such a fan of [author John] Bellairs, I was probably looking forward to The House with a Clock in Its Walls more than most this season, and I was not disappointed. It's the perfect fun family fright film for fall.

| Jul 17, 2020

Anyone who gives this a shot could be pleasantly surprised.

| Original Score: B | Jul 9, 2020

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

The movie's saving grace, though, is in its two adult leads. Jack Black is Jack Black, he's funny as he always is, and has great chemistry with Vaccaro, but Blanchett's the real show stopper.

| Oct 29, 2019

Everything matters so very little, and doesn't even try to matter, that it's actually almost charming in a backward way.

| Original Score: 0.5/5 | Sep 26, 2019

It's that pure unadulterated weirdness that makes The House with a Clock in Its Walls interesting to watch. Tonally, that's what the movie needed to commit to.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 3, 2019