Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News / Lifestyle

Movie review: Housebound

Kiri Gillespie
NZME. regionals·
11 Sep, 2014 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Morgana O'Reilly plays Kylie in Housebound. PHOTO/TRIGGER ENTERTAINMENT

Morgana O'Reilly plays Kylie in Housebound. PHOTO/TRIGGER ENTERTAINMENT

Housebound
(R13) 120 minutes

Housebound

is a movie like no other.

It's not really a horror movie and it's not a continuous laugh-out-loud comedy gag. But it is brilliant.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When an angry and obnoxious Kylie (Morgana O'Reilly) gets sent to home detention with sweet but naive mum Miriam (Rima Te Wiata) following a bungled bank robbery, she thinks things couldn't get much worse.

But then she becomes the target of creepy and strange happenings.

Whether it is ghostly hauntings or something more sinister, no one is too sure.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for her, Kylie's probation officer Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) also dabbles in pro-bono supernatural investigation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And so the story unfolds, with a few surprises.

Kylie makes for a great anti-hero, with plenty of spunk to take on what comes, while the adorable Te Wiata and hilarious Waru offer plenty of entertainment.

A scene involving a corkscrew and the local police force had me in stitches while cringing terribly at the same time. But that's the magic with this film.

A witty and clever script keeps things rolling and fresh, and there is plenty of fodder for horror hounds.

Housebound director Gerard Johnson has done an amazing job of meshing thrills and laughs.  PHOTO/TRIGGER ENTERTAINMENT
Housebound director Gerard Johnson has done an amazing job of meshing thrills and laughs. PHOTO/TRIGGER ENTERTAINMENT

Director Gerard Johnstone has done an amazing job of somehow meshing thrills and laughs - an area that could have too easily been a flop.

Housebound is a refreshing and utterly delightful Kiwi film which is difficult to compare to any other.

I loved it.

Watch the trailer for Housebound below:

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Reviews

Review: Dave Dobbyn at BNZ Theatre was a gig that mattered

30 Jan 05:00 PM
Waikato Herald

Waitangi Day festivals, sport and concerts - here's what's on in the Waikato

28 Jan 08:00 PM
Lifestyle

Country musician Jodi Vaughan honoured in Australia

27 Jan 12:50 AM

Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Review: Dave Dobbyn at BNZ Theatre was a gig that mattered
Reviews

Review: Dave Dobbyn at BNZ Theatre was a gig that mattered

Following Teeks last Friday, Dobbyn was the second big artist to perform at the new venue.

30 Jan 05:00 PM
Waitangi Day festivals, sport and concerts - here's what's on in the Waikato
Waikato Herald

Waitangi Day festivals, sport and concerts - here's what's on in the Waikato

28 Jan 08:00 PM
Country musician Jodi Vaughan honoured in Australia
Lifestyle

Country musician Jodi Vaughan honoured in Australia

27 Jan 12:50 AM


Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 
Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP