Watch In the House

In the House is a psychological thriller from 2012 directed by François Ozon, starring Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Schmitt, and Ernst Umhauer. The story revolves around a sixteen-year-old boy Claude, a talented writer who develops an obsession with a classmate's family and starts to manipulate his way into their lives. The plot unfolds with the opening scenes showing the school bus dropping off a group of students, including Claude, at the end of the day. Intrigue is established through the use of a voice-over narration by Claude, where he vividly describes one of his classmates' houses. This piques the interest of his literature teacher Germain, played by Fabrice Luchini, who becomes enamored with Claude's writing ability.

Claude starts to submit a series of essays to Germain, documenting his observations of a classmate and his family. The essays detail the boy's house, his parents, his sister, and the sordid family dynamics. As the story progresses, the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred as Claude becomes more involved with the family, creating a deep visual connection between himself and the subjects of his story.

The bold narrative of the movie allows the audience to see inside the mind of a young writer who desires to live in the world of his own creation. The audience is left to wonder whether the events portrayed in Claude's writing are real or a figment of his imagination. The power of his writing is exemplified by his ability to manipulate the family, making them dance to his tune.

Germain becomes complicit in Claude's obsession, using his essays as teaching material for his class and pushing Claude to write more about the family. The movie explores the image of the ideal family living under one roof, and how such habits can become oppressive and suffocating.

The pace of the story is well-managed, and the character development of the children, particularly Claude, is particularly noteworthy. The disconnection between Claude and his parents; his father is physically present but mentally absent while his mother is preoccupied by keeping up appearances, amplifies his obsession with the classmate's family.

The use of lighting and camera work is extraordinary, bringing out the essence of every emotion that each character is experiencing. The camera angles convey the dynamic interplay between characters, with each individual filmed from various angles, giving the audience a greater perspective on their thoughts and feelings.

Vincent Schmitt portrays Rapha, Claude's classmate and the subject of his essays. As the film progresses, Schmitt's character undergoes a transformation from passive to reactive. The portrayal of his character development is done subtly, and it complements the overall plot of the movie. Ernst Umhauer, who plays Claude, is perfectly cast, expressing a sense of detachment from the world around him, supplemented by a mysterious smile that seems to hint at the wicked thoughts running through his mind.

The dialogue in In the House is sharp, intellectual, and suspenseful. The conversations are focused on exposing the root of the family issues, the deceptions and pretence that covers up the harsh reality of life. The use of humor also adds to the complexity of the story, while still adhering to the thrilling nature of the film.

In conclusion, In the House is a remarkable film about obsession, manipulation, and writing. It is artfully directed, with a solid cast and an intriguing storyline that keeps you hooked until the very end. That being said, it is a film that would be best appreciated by a mature audience, as some of the themes in it are quite mature.

In the House is a 2013 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 72.