The House is additional proof, if it were needed, that animation can go where reality hesitates to venture. With three stories linked by a common theme – the relationship of the characters to a dwelling – The House explores dark and macabre themes of possession, temptation, and corruption, all executed with bravura stop-motion animation.
The British production, which was released on Netflix, has different directors and a common screenwriter. Enda Walsh connects three stories that vary in style, tone and impact but have some common elements. The biggest unifying factor is the place of residence which decides the fate of the characters.
The 97-minute film has some big names attached. The voice cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Miranda Richardson, Matthew Goode, Mia Goth, Will Sharpe and Jarvis Cocker. The background music, sinister or poignant depending on the mood, is by Gustavo Santaolalla. (The soundtrack includes Jarvis Cocker’s hilarious ode to the housing market.)
The first story, directed by Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels, is the scariest and best. The impecunious Raymond, who often lets alcohol get the better of him, strikes a Faustian deal with a mysterious developer. Raymond (Matthew Goode) abandons his modest home and moves into a lavish mansion with his wife Penny (Claudia Blakey), daughter Mabel (Mia Goth) and child Isobel (Eleanor De Swaef-Roels).
Only Mabel can see past the luxurious adornments and sense that something is wrong with property manager Thomas (Mark Heap), the workers lurking in the corners, and the mansion itself. Even as the parents become lost in their newfound fortune, the children embark on an adventure that takes the film into horror territory. The puppets appear to have been crafted from hairy cork — part of the film’s overall unsettling quality.
The second film, by Niki Lindroth von Bahr, mixes humor and horror. A rodent (Jarvis Cocker) who hopes to sell his house and spend the rest of his life on a boat must deal with an infestation of beetles and then an invasion of potential buyers. Like the previous episode, this film reminds us of the lesson of fairy tales – a curse is often disguised as a gift.
The third film softens the mood. Director Paloma Baeza conjures up a pastel-toned, inviting Hayao Miyazaki-style world in which an anthromorphized cat receives an unwanted visitor.
Rosa (Susan Wokoma) owns a decrepit house that survived a major flood. Rosa struggles with two free tenants – Jen, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter, and Elias, voiced by Will Sharpe – and dreams of renovating the house whenever she can afford it.
Jen’s friend who springs from mysticism, the aptly named Cosmos (Paul Kaye), makes Rosa’s fur fly. A self-proclaimed expert in Tibetan chanting and a strong believer in spiritual solutions to mundane problems, Cosmos proves to be the key to Rosa’s future. After the scares of the previous two films, this seriocomic episode is a visual and tonal relief.
