Housebound (2014)

A young woman is forced to return to her childhood home after being placed under house arrest, where she suspects that something evil may be lurking.

Director:

Gerard Johnstone

Writer:

Gerard Johnstone

Stars:

Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru

5 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Morgana O'Reilly	...	Kylie Bucknell
Rima Te Wiata	...	Miriam Bucknell
Glen-Paul Waru	...	Amos
Ross Harper	...	Graeme
Cameron Rhodes	...	Dennis
Ryan Lampp	...	Eugene
Mick Innes	...	Kraglund
Bruce Hopkins	...	Officer Carson
Millen Baird	...	Officer Grayson
Wallace Chapman	...	Hollis
David Van Horn	...	Justin
Nikki Si'ulepa	...	Leslie
Ian Mune	...	Judge
Kitty Riddell	...	Elizabeth Chalmers
Lila Sharp	...	Young Kylie (voice)

Storyline

Kylie Bucknell is forced to return to the house she grew up in when the court places her on home detention. Her punishment is made all the more unbearable by the fact she has to live there with her mother Miriam - a well-intentioned blabbermouth who's convinced that the house is haunted. Kylie dismisses Miriam's superstitions as nothing more than a distraction from a life occupied by boiled vegetables & small-town gossip. However, when she too becomes privy to unsettling whispers & strange bumps in the night, she begins to wonder whether she's inherited her overactive imagination, or if the house is in fact possessed by a hostile spirit who's less than happy about the new living arrangement.

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Plot Keywords:

slapstick comedy | exploding head | haunted house | bloody violence | plot twist | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 2014 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Arestata la domiciliu

Box Office

Budget:

NZD 350,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Semi-Professional

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Won the "Fresh Blood Audience Award 2014" at Germany's Fantasy Film Festival.

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Quotes

Kylie Bucknell: You honestly think this house is haunted?
Miriam Bucknell: I do not want to get into this with you, Kylie. Obviously, you are just going to make fun of me.
Kylie Bucknell: There is nothing funny about having a mother with dementia. You realise they put me on house arrrest to get some stability.
Miriam Bucknell: Well, obviously, you have got a very selective memory.
Kylie Bucknell: What is that supposed to mean?
Miriam Bucknell: I am not the only one who thought there was a ghost in this house, Kylie. I fact, you used to be so terrified you could not sleep.
Kylie Bucknell: Yeah, I also used ...

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Connections

Features Coronation Street (1960)

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Soundtracks

Angel
Written by Alastair Riddell (as A Riddell)
Performed by Alastair Riddell (as Space Waltz)
Courtesy of EMI Music

User Reviews

Laugh, Scream, Flinch

Housebound is really something. It's part ghost story, part People Under the Stairs, part murder mystery, part slapstick comedy and part family drama. The dialog, facial expression and spot on timing of the action keep this mash up of genres amusing every step of the way. Just when you think you know which way it's heading, it either makes fun of the standard clichés or skips them entirely, casting us into a twist and turn that starts it all over again with an entirely new plot development. And when you think you know where that plot line is headed, it does it again. I really enjoyed the character Amos played by Glen-Paul Waru. His bumbling energy kept me chuckling. I also enjoyed the fact that even though this film gets pretty violent and gory at times, overall it is a good-natured, feel good movie that, like a roller coaster ride, is scary and fun and shocking and harmless all at the same time. Good job Gerard Johnstone!