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The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Name: The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Director: Eli Roth
Released: 2018
Duration: 105 min

Representation Score

3.4/10

Limited

2018

Director

Eli Roth

Runtime

105 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a conventional genre piece that prioritizes established storytelling structures over social subversion. It relies heavily on traditional mentorship clichés and a homogeneous demographic framework. While the narrative avoids total patriarchal dominance by giving female characters significant authority, the central plot drivers remain focused on male characters. The 1960s setting contributes to a lack of racial and queer representation. Ultimately, the film functions as a standard family fantasy, reinforcing traditional values and authority figures rather than deconstructing social norms or integrating diverse identities.

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Category Breakdown

Does The House with a Clock in Its Walls have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or queer subtext. It follows traditional social structures set in the 1960s.

How does The House with a Clock in Its Walls portray gender?

Fair

Although the mentor-apprentice relationship is male-dominated, female characters such as Florence have significant authority. This prevents a total reliance on patriarchal leadership.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The House with a Clock in Its Walls?

Limited

The cast is mainly white and Anglo-Saxon, reflecting the 1960s setting. There is minimal engagement with racial or ethnic diversity.

How does The House with a Clock in Its Walls represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story centers on traditional coming-of-age fantasy and magical traditions, reinforcing conventional values about guardianship and protecting the community.

Does The House with a Clock in Its Walls include disability representation?

Fair

The film addresses psychological trauma from loss and fear but treats these as genre clichés rather than nuanced explorations of disability.

Present on Screen

Female characters like Florence are positioned in roles of significant authority and magical proficiency.
The film avoids a total reliance on patriarchal leadership through its distribution of magical competence.

Limited or Absent

The cast is predominantly white and lacks intentional racial blending or color-blind casting.
There is a complete absence of LGBTQ+ characters or engagement with non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities.
Psychological themes like trauma are used as genre clichés rather than nuanced disability representations.

Official Synopsis

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.

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