The House, Netflix's first year-end release, is a stop motion miniseries that tells three stories set in one large home. Each director directs a short, but all share a similar sense of dreadfulness and spookiness.
Nexus Studios' latest anthology The House is another in a long string of projects produced by the UK-based company. They also brought us Billie Eilish’s animated Special Happier Than Ever. The three sections of one-hour each are divided into separate chapters that focus on different aspects.
Chapter 1 is set in 1800s and centers on a family of poor people who move into an unusual house that brings bad luck and evil to its residents. It's a slow-burn tale that evokes a Wes Anderson feel, with a stop-motion aesthetic that's just as evocative of the Fantastic Mr. Fox, Salad Fingers and Ray Harryhausen films that it draws influence from.
The House isn’t just a dark comedy. Instead, it’s an arthouse-style miniseries asking you to think. It does so in a surprising way, but it's always enjoyable.
This piece of cinema is creepy, funny and hopeful. And it's certainly worth a watch, with its engrossing story beats and modern stop motion animation.
The House, aside from its gallows humors and shock value is one of the most visually appealing stop motion films outside of Laika. Each chapter is meticulously designed, from the flocked figurines in the second story to felt characters in the first.
The House's design is a nice throwback from the 1980s Epoch Sylvanian Families series. It's a welcome sight if you love stop-motion animation. The feeling characters in chapter one add to the dread. The lifelike characters in chapter two are a delight for stop-motion film enthusiasts.
But despite its great visuals and its well-written script, The House isn't perfect. It's not able to overcome minor weaknesses in its stories. These often substitute the surrealist for more logical elements. Additionally, the ending is unsatisfying and uneven due to the use of sarcastic humor at just the right moment. Fans of stop-motion animation and dark comedy, including those who are fans of Wes Anderson, David Firth, or Tim Burton, should still check it out.