'The House' takeaway: The effective use of stop-motion in horror 

The House, Netflix's recent adult anthology, is an animated horror centered around a house as it changes face and inhabitants over time. Written by Enda Walsh and helmed by a host of directors, the stop-motion focuses in on the anxieties that come with a home, be it dangerous attachments or loss of control.

The film is now streaming on Netflix.

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What is 'The House' about?

The stop-motion feature is comprised of three stories revolving around the same house, but in different timelines. The first two episodes are morbid at best, while the last one is a glimmer of hope that helps the film end on a comfortable note.

The first episode is a tale of greed and the horrors that come with it. When an unsuspecting family strikes a suspicious bargain with an unknown architect, they must give up their house and move to a grander place fashioned by him. The story quickly takes a dark turn when we see the family pay with their lives for the new house that was 'gifted' to them.

The second story, set during the recession, follows an anthropomorphized rat who is a contractor and must now sell the project he undertook. But things didn't turn out quite according to his expectations when a couple of rats came to see the property and settled in, refusing to leave. The story takes a dark turn in the end with the developer losing his sense of self and banding with the rats infesting his house.

The last story, set in dystopian times, offers some sense of optimism. Rosa harbors an unhealthy attachment to the house, refusing to let go even in the face of the reality of the flood that threatens to drown it. Will she be able to 'let go' and move on?

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Use of stop motion to propel horror

Still from The House (Image via Netflix)

The medium of stop-motion animation plays an integral role in propelling the element of horror in the film. Stop-motion animation, with its jerky movements and minimal expression, is quite spooky in itself without adding intentional frights. There is a surreal element to it which adds to the uncanny effect of the film.

Horror and animation is a pair which is uncanny in itself. There is a certain element of discomfort and eerieness to it. To use a medium mainly targeted towards children to tell an adult story laced with unknown horror throws viewers into a situation of discomfort that is absolutely perfect for telling the three tales that The House encompasses.

Catch the adult stop-motion anthology now streaming on Netflix.