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Film
FilmPG2018
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Directed by Eli Roth
When ten-year-old Lewis is suddenly orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan in a creaky (and creepy) old mansion with a mysterious ticking noise that emanates from the walls. Upon discovering that his uncle is a warlock, Lewis begins learning magic, but when he rebelliously resurrects an evil warlock he must find the secret of the house and save the world from destruction. From TMDB
116 reactions from 4 sources (Bluesky, Mastodon, TMDB reviews, Lemmy) · newest Oct 23, 2026 · last updated Oct 24, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
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Sentiment labels for these sources are still being hand-checked; no score yet.
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky * | 23 | 8 | 70 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| TMDB reviews * | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What people are saying
A written summary appears once the title has a score.
At a glance
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a 2018 comedy family fantasy film, directed by Eli Roth, starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett and Owen Vaccaro.
- 87 people have posted about this film on Bluesky, Mastodon, TMDB reviews, Lemmy
- posts span Sep 16, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026
Assembled from TMDB, Wikidata and Steam fields and our own counts, nothing written by a model. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
116 public posts have mentioned The House with a Clock in Its Walls so far, but it needs 10 opinionated reactions from checked sources before it gets a score. Seen it? Post your take.
The Experts
61%
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The People
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audience score
Reactions
60 of 116 · most liked firstJohn Bellairs is most known for his book The House with a Clock in Its Walls, but did you know he wrote a small series of stories set in Minnesota featuring occult mysteries? He did! The Anthony Monday books, illustrated by Gorey. These novels had an influence on me as a native Midwesterner artist.
neutral · AI labelView post →Reading the kid The House With a Clock in Its Walls and I had forgotten how hard this book goes
positive · AI labelView post →Happy #LetterboxdFriday! It has been a busy week, but I still managed to get in a few films. My #LastFourWatched: Amityville II: The Possession (1982) The House With A Clock In Its Walls (2018) The Ritual (2017) Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) #Filmsky #Horrorsky #MutantFam
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm reading some spooky #MG mystery and enjoying it deeply. #Kidlit even spooks harder than it needs 😉 "When you are hiding something, you get the feeling that every other secret is connected to your secret." ―John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls #BookSky #MiddleGrade 📚💙📚
neutral · AI labelView post →I randomly picked up The House with a Clock in Its Walls in my early 20s, and I was not prepared at all for what was in there. Not at all.
neutral · AI labelView post →John Bellairs - "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" still holds up, and it's got Richard Gorey illustrations to boot!
positive · AI labelView post →Jack Black can resolve the Jewish representation issue, as the beard grows out! (It occurred to me because I remember my reaction to The House with a Clock in Its Walls in 2018 as “Jack Black wants to show us he can handle drama if Nick Offerman isn’t available.”)
neutral · AI labelView post →So I finally found The House With A Clock In Its Walls on Netflix and I’m watching it and the opening credits go by and I’m all “Oh, Kyle Mclachlan… oh he’s the evil wizard isn’t he.” Yes. Yes he is.
neutral · AI labelView post →New OUR FIRST FEARS podcast episode up tonight! With Lora Senf. @lorasenf.bsky.social Chatting about our favorite scary kid's book, The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs. Links here: www.buzzsprout.com/2215085/share
neutral · AI labelView post →I've been trying to beef up my favorites list on Hoopla and Libby--discovered THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS, which I had totally missed when it came out. #kidlitchat
neutral · AI labelView post →(To be clear, for all its imperfections, and boy are there a bunch of them, The House with a Clock in Its Walls DOES make steps in the direction of proving that there are layers to Jack Black’s acting capabilities that could be brought out by the right material.)
neutral · AI labelView post →Chris and I once went to a screening of The House With a Clock in Its Walls in this very (weird, long) theatre, we were the only people there bar a dad with his kids and it remains one of the most surreal experiences I've had watching a movie, rip Beverly Hills Cinema
neutral · AI labelView post →I forgot that I watched THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS yesterday with the wife and daughter. A surprisingly good children's horror movie. How come that's such a sparse genre? My 9-year old really enjoyed it. I had good fun with it too. Make more horror films for kids. It's a tricky art.
positive · AI labelView post →So I finished THE CREEPENING OF DOGWOOD HOUSE by @edenroyce.bsky.social and I absolutely adored it. It reminded me of THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS- one of my favourite MG books of all time!- it's fun and scary, and it did some really great stuff with new, creative kinds of horror.
neutral · AI labelView post →Also, regarding The House with a Clock in Its Walls: "Oh, hey, we've all done that thing in a car ride where we pretend a car behind us is chasing us, right? Well ..."
neutral · AI labelView post →The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs: Courage and Chocolate-Chip Cookies irresponsiblereader.com/2026/09/14/t...
neutral · AI labelView post →Checking out THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS for @hkhspod.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →Probably because Eli Roth is the worst. Still pisses me off that I liked The House With a Clock in Its Walls, but I guess even a broken clock makes an okay movie twice a day.
positive · AI labelView post →Maybe Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark? Obviously not as good and as fun as The Monster Squad and perhaps a bit too dark for particularly younger ones. Would The House with a Clock in Its Walls count as a gateway horror flick?
neutral · AI labelView post →Hoping now for an appearance by the Fuse Box Dwarf, a bizarre throwaway line in The House with a Clock in Its Walls that lodged in my brain. I also love the 'eclipse' scene in the back yard. #DreebDreeb
neutral · AI labelView post →The mansion in “The House with a Clock in Its Walls" the film & book was based on the real-life Cronin Mansion in author John Bellairs's hometown of Marshall, Michigan. #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls
neutral · AI labelView post →I read The House With a Clock In Its Walls very young (7?) & something about the story gave me this deep sense of cosmic horror. I barely remember anything about the plot but the ticking of the hidden magic apocalypse clock had this kind of dream logic I can't explain. Anyway book scary
positive · AI labelView post →I'm a huge fan of whimsy. Currently watching: THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS (2018) www.imdb.com/title/tt2119...
neutral · AI labelView post →#NowWatching The House With A Clock In Its Walls 2018 Jack Black, Eli Roth, Cate Blanchett
neutral · AI labelView post →Easily The House With a Clock in Its Walls. That ticking, SO creepy.
neutral · AI labelView post →I was extremely into John Bellairs for one summer (The House with A Clock in Its Walls, etc), what a grip they had on me
positive · AI labelView post →I actually loved that movie as a kid but I was kind of an older kid when I saw it (12). Still loved scary books for kids - The House with a Clock in Its Walls and sequels were some of my favorites.
positive · AI labelView post →The House With a Clock In Its Walls by John Bellairs is a great Gothic horror story for kids and adults who like a brisk read. All of John Bellairs books are good examples that storytelling for kids doesn't have to talk down/be dumbed down.
positive · AI labelView post →If you told someone that “a PG-rated, fantasy-horror film starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett” existed they would never believe you #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls
neutral · AI labelView post →#NowWatching The House With A Clock In Its Walls (2018) Great Kid Friendly Spooky Flick🎃🎃🎃🎃
positive · AI labelView post →John Bellairs was easily the first writer who really freaked me out. And I loved it. The House With a Clock in Its Walls and the other Lewis Barnavelt novels were so good.
positive · AI labelView post →I stayed up too late watching The House With A Clock In Its Walls so I ended up with no morning Rotting in Bed time 😅 The movie was fun, though!
positive · AI labelView post →These are the ones I think of as the core, they're three different series The House with a Clock in Its Walls The Figure in the Shadows The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn The Curse of the Blue Figurine The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt
neutral · AI labelView post →Similarly, when I see a John Bellairs book, I want it. This one is a goof, because I already have The House With a Clock in Its Walls, but this one was for my son anyway. (I really want a full set of the Gorey covers!) The Nancy Drew is secretly a blank notebook, and I can always use one of those.
neutral · AI labelView post →The House With A Clock In Its Walls With Big Naturals
neutral · AI labelView post →Now watching The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
neutral · AI labelView post →Late night double need a quick theme so I’m being lazy 2 wins - The House With a Clock in Its Walls 1 win - Crooked House 0 wins - House of Darkness #GoAvsGo #MileHighBasketball
neutral · AI labelView post →This is the cover I remember for The House With A Clock In Its Walls. Pretty sure I got it from a Scholastic book order from school.
neutral · AI labelView post →How did no one tell me The House with a Clock in Its Walls was made into a movie?? You have all FAILED me. Watching it at once.
positive · AI labelView post →Honoring John Bellairs, American author best known for his fantasy novel, A FACE IN THE FROST (adult) & many gothic mysteries for young readers. THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS was rewritten YA at a publisher’s suggestion, leading to 14 more YA novels. #ChidrensBooks #YAlit
neutral · AI labelView post →Np!! THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS is where I'd start. It's kids' horror so be ready for some spoops- but also Joy with a capital J. #kidlitchat
neutral · AI labelView post →Just made tacos, gonna watch The House With a Clock In Its Walls with the kid (we just finished reading the book), then I'm going to get stoned and snuggle with my wife and pets. Everything's coming up Milhouse.
positive · AI labelView post →“So this is my fault?!” Well… if you didn’t have that forbidden cabinet ..👀 #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls
neutral · AI labelView post →When I decided to focus on “Spooky Old House” films for October, “The House with a Clock in its Walls” (2018) was the top of my shortlist. From the star studded cast & crew to the “fully realized ‘Goosebumps’ meets ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ episode” vibes- I knew I wanted to share it w/y’all #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls
positive · AI labelView post →“The House with a Clock in its Walls” was originally written for adults and even had artwork by Edward Gorey. Bellairs, infamously, made few changes before it was published for young adults. #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls #horror #EdwardGorey
neutral · AI labelView post →“The House with a Clock in its Walls” (2018) is based on the 1973 young adult mystery novel of the same name by American author John Bellairs. You can read it for free here (archive.org/details/best... ). #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls #horror
neutral · AI labelView post →“A Clock in the walls” mentioned! Drink! #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls
neutral · AI labelView post →I got my copy of The House with a Clock in Its Walls through a book fair. Mom let me get carried away - she taught freshman English. Better than the movie. And I kinda liked the movie.
neutral · AI labelView post →The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box and The House with a Clock in Its Walls are pretty fun, even for adults!
positive · AI labelView post →This is where it all started. 1972. John Bellairs, a great children's book genius. "THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS". And he truly loved people—he didn't just pretend to…
neutral · AI labelView post →My kids liked John Bellaires. "The House with a Clock in Its Walls" etc.
neutral · AI labelView post →THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS is on Netflix! Everybody go watch it! It is so freaking charming!
positive · AI labelView post →The House With A Clock In Its Walls
neutral · AI labelView post →#31DaysofHalloween Movie 7: The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) First Time Viewing #SCVpsychochallenge Guideline: 7. NOW THAT’S BRASS: Skewer the end of week one with a thrust of metal - be it precious or, better yet, base. @scarecrowvideo.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →The house in Marshall, MI, that John Bellairs used as inspiration for his 1973 children’s novel, THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS. It’s his fault we were all subjected to Jack Black’s head on an infant body, so, you know, eff him.
neutral · AI labelView post →I didn't listen to a single new album in March, BUT, in my defense, I DID see 25 new movies :) 27, actually! I also saw A Complete Unknown (very good) and The House with a Clock in Its Walls (very mid), but those were just recreational, not for Bingu, my movie watching game
negative · AI labelView post →4) The House With a Clock In Its Walls by John Bellairs SO MUCH better than the movie. A Gothic fantasy for young adults/children that doesn't pull punches. Creepy and endearing
neutral · AI labelView post →Probably the early books of the Lewis Barnavelt novels, beginning with _The House with a Clock in Its Walls_ The 2018 film is a pretty decent introduction to the concept, the magic world in it has always stuck with me as a rather fun subtle kind, the characters are quite enjoyable to read about, but I can totally see why it's not exactly hailed as one of the great classics, too
neutral · AI labelView post →weird baby Jack Black with a fully adult head was achieved using practical effects with just a hint of CGI. The puppet is so disturbing looking that I.. can’t in good conscience share it with y’all… so.. Google it at your own risk #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls
neutral · AI labelView post →The mansion in “The House with a Clock in Its Walls" the film & book was based on the real-life Cronin Mansion in author John Bellairs's hometown of Marshall, Michigan. #MusComEnt #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls
neutral · AI labelView post →
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