Looking at the cast, crew, and general premise of Universal’s latest family film The House with a Clock in its Walls, one would think it’s more like a Mad Libs sheet than an actual movie. Based on the 1973 novel of the same name, this fantasy horror flick directed by Eli Roth sees a precocious young boy named Lewis, played by Owen Vacarro, moving in with his Uncle Jonathan, played by Jack Black, in a creepy old house in the fictional town of New Zebedee, Michigan in 1955 after losing his parents. It is soon that Lewis learns that not only is his uncle a warlock, along with his next door neighbor Florence, played by Cate Blanchett, is a witch, but within their old house, an evil warlock who used to live there named Isaac Izard, played by Kyle MacLachlan, placed a hidden clock within the walls (hence the title), and plans to use said clock to destroy the world, leading it up to Lewis, Jonathan, and Florence to save the day.

Just the idea of having Hostel and Green Inferno director Eli Roth directing a family fantasy horror film that includes such an odd assortment of actors makes the idea seem ludicrous. But in a miraculous turn of events, The House with a Clock in its Walls delivers, offering something that’s fun, creative, engaging, and quite creepy, especially for a film targeted towards a younger audience. Quite honestly, the fact that there’s a scene that sees Cate Blanchett headbutting a sentient jack-o-lantern makes this film a must-see alone.

While initially its introduction is rough, both due to the film cramming in a lot of exposition, and Owen Vacarro’s performance doesn’t quite initially deliver (although he does get much better as the film goes on), once Black reveals himself to be a warlock, the rest of the film is a wild and exciting roller coaster, largely thanks to Black and Blanchett. It’s an odd pairing for sure, but both actors really make the experience entertaining. Black is hilarious and eccentric, but also manages to offer heart and sincerity. Blanchett is amazing as always, clearly relishing as a witch who is regal, yet also offers some of her own unique eccentricities as well. The two have really strong chemistry. They bicker and banter, and occasionally make crack jokes at each other’s expense, but there’s a great sense of camaraderie and friendship that is almost infectious. I could watch the two bicker for hours and hours. Add in some fun antagonists with MacLachlan and his wife Selena, played by Renee Elise Goldsberry, and the film truly delivers on strong characters and actors.

However, Eli Roth is the true star of the show here. Being from a background known for intense horror productions, while it obviously is toned down, there’s still a lot of freaky imagery, and Roth really excels in using said imagery to create a great sense of atmosphere to the film. The climax itself delivers in offering a lot of creative obstacles, and antagonistic forces like the sentient jack-o-lanterns, freaky dolls and toys, and even a demon here and there are all scary and will certainly freak out kids and even some adults. Of course the film doesn’t go all the way, as there are still plenty of good laughs and spurts of fun that make sure there’s still a decent amount of levity. Add on some phenomenal production design by Jon Hutman (the titular house is absolutely incredible), and the film oozes Halloween and all of the fun elements that come with it.

In all, The House with a Clock in its Walls delivers as a fun family fantasy horror flick with great actors, and a more than competent director. It will be interesting to see if Roth will dip his toe into family films again, but on this film alone, he delivers something that’s sure to be a cult favorite among young audiences for years to come.