The House With A Clock In Its Walls Review: 5 Ups & 3 Downs

2. The Message For Weirdos

As a sort of extension of the Amblin point, the film boils down to one message when you pull all of the story away. That message is that it's not just okay to be weird but that you should embrace that side of you as much as possible.

The film positions itself as an anthem for the weirdos and outsiders of society, proving quite blatantly that trying to integrate for the sake of it (and at the expense of your own self) is so dangerous it might actually pull your world crashing down around you.

The true mark of a great family film is that they imprint positive messages (no matter how dark the storyline might be). E.T., for instance, is all about belonging and embracing your true self and there's a strong parallel between the agenda of that film and this one. If it helps anyone come away feeling validated despite their eccentricities (or even BECAUSE of them), then Roth deserves lots of praise.