I’m obsessed with movies that blend multiple genres into one. Think: Parasite (2019), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), or Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). But there’s one that I personally believe is super underrated, and that’s the horror comedy Housebound (2014). For those of you who’ve been following us for a while, you know that we love Housebound. In a 2014 interview with director Gerard Johnstone, we called it a “hilarious Rubik’s Cube of haunted-house suspense, whodunit and family comedy.” But this is a horror movie above all, and while it’s objectively one of the funniest movies I’ve seen (it’s hard to make me laugh, by the way), it also delivers some pretty effective scares. 

Housebound follows Kylie (Morgana O’Reilly), a young woman who has been in and out of rehab and can’t seem to stay out of trouble. After failing to rob an ATM, she’s sentenced to house arrest for eight months—not too bad! Only she’s stuck with her mother, Miriam (Rima Te Wiata), a chatty, quippy woman who remarks how “lucky” her daughter is to “have all that high-technology on [her] foot.” Thanks, Mom. 

But Miriam isn’t Kylie’s only problem. Apparently, there’s a ghost in the house. And it’s not happy Kylie is there.

What makes Housebound so effective is its “striking” production design. The house itself is a character (a sign of a good Gothic story), with its chaotic collection of clutter and dark patterned wallpaper. This is a house with personality, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good one. 

Which is why Housebound works so well as a horror movie. It’s hilarious, and the mother-daughter relationship is relatable (yes, I’m a woman with mommy issues, we exist). But when things get tense, they get tense. You’re just going to have to hop on Tubi to find out.

And if you love Housebound, let me know: @ashjenexi on X and Instagram.