Housebound is an unpredictable, suspenseful horror comedy and, to my delight, you can add hilarious and heartfelt to the ongoing list of adjectives. It's nice to know that the creative and unique horror comedy is alive and well in New Zealand.

Throughout the entire movie I never knew what was going to happen next and it was such a welcomed feeling of the unknown, it's not often enough that a genre film can keep me on my toes as I have a firm grip on my husband's arm, just in case the next scene sent me flying.

Kylie is a troubled young woman with a drug addiction that has landed her in and out of rehabs, after her latest run…

It shouldn't be surprising anymore that some of the best horror films come from Down Under these days. Housebound is no exception.

Crafted with a brilliantly off beat sense of humour, Housebound is a horror film that is not set out to scare you, but to entertain. It does so by unashamedly relishing in horror conventions, perfectly balancing scares with laughter and gore.

All this works so well because Housebound understands two things really well. You need a good story and you need great characters. And boy does it ever. The mother and daughter are characters that slowly grow on you. Not very relatable at first, but as the story progressed so did my appreciation of them. It even manages…

2014 has been a disappointing year for horror films! Then I came across this underrated little gem! Boy oh boy did my eyes light up when I realized I had struck pay dirt!

I still can't wrap my head around the fact that this is Gerard Johnstone's directorial debut! With a great first time outing like this it tickles me to think "We haven't seen nothing yet" from this promising young director!

It pulls off a fantastic balancing act insuring the horror won't be undermined by its deadpan humor! Throw in some nail biting tension for luck and you have one hell of a viewing experience!

I love the fierce little minx Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O'Reilly)! She's tough as nails…

Clever film. Clever, clever film.

It seems that if you're looking for some fine modern horror/semi comedies, the best place to look is down under. Between the likes of "What We Do in the Shadows", "Deathgasm", and now "Housebound", the sub genre really hasn't been this genuinely smart in a long time.

While Gerard Johnstone's directorial debut mostly leans more towards the horror side of things, it still manages to keep a great amount of dark wit to add some levity to the more intense moments.

The classic "People trapped in Haunted House" scenario gets turned on its head for the sake of compelling mystery thrills with its lead characters. I don't really want to go into much of the…

“Are you familiar with the term dissociative identity disorder?”

After having watched the hilarious New Zealand mockumentry, What We Do in the Shadows, I decided to follow it up with another Kiwi film written and directed by first time director Gerard Johnstone. Housebound is yet another brilliantly crafted film that manages to blend the horror and comedy genres together in such a way that the film excels at both things. Usually when you have a film like this, it is either more concerned in delivering on the comedy or on the horror, but very few times does it actually manage to do so on both ends. Housebound is a parody of horror films while at the same time maintaining a…

I love how familiar the house is to any viewer who has spent a day with their relatives. From the wall paper, the furniture, the TVs, bathroom, bedrooms and so on, we've all been in a house like this at least once in our lives, be it in childhood, a family reunion, or just a recent visit.

It's because of this that "Housebound" exploits a fear of unease of being in such a familiar involvement with the subtlest of changes causing chills to go down the main character (and viewer)'s spine. A creaking door, a weird noise flowing through the pipes, wandering down in the basement, all of these are simple, subtle little fears and creeps, but it's what's underneath…

Cleverly advertised as a “haunted house” flick, Housebound exceeded my personal expectation. The humor is refreshingly real and natural, never forced or out of place. Now, despite the interspersed interludes of comedic sharpness, this film transcends the horror-comedy moniker--less Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, more Hot Fuzz. It's shot in ways to best compliment the horror elements and written to suit the range and subtle shifting of tones. The score maintains the story's air of mystery, while properly highlighting the character's actions; it reserves just the right amount of quintessential tension for spookier sequences. Generally, it is always a sign of passionate filmmaking when the music takes risks and plays as strong a role as the actors. There are beautifully…