You know those days when you’re scrolling through all the streaming services hoping to find something that jumps out to you, but nothing seems to spark your interest? Well, I was having one of those days until I happened to stumble upon the movie HAUSU (“House”), an experimental Japanese horror/comedy from the ’70s.

HAUSU was directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, who was incredibly influenced by his young daughter. And I think having that last part of the sentence in mind is key because as I watched the movie, it felt like it was written by a child… but in a good way.

What is it about?

But if you’re like me and have never heard about (the apparently cult classic) HAUSU, here’s the plot in a nutshell: Six school girls travel to visit one of their aunts in an old country home after their initial plans for their break are thrown out the window. While they’re visiting the aunt, the girls come face to face with some supernatural events and end up being eaten by the house, one by one.

Why is it so good?

The plot of HAUSU may sound a bit odd, but it has such a charm to it that pulls you in. The visuals are completely absurd and the visual effects are noticeably cheap, but it’s exactly the absurdity of it that makes it fun. While I was watching it, I was entertained throughout the entire thing and laughed at quite a few scenes.

Earlier, when I mentioned this was influenced by a child, you can so clearly see that in the film. For example, one of the girls is eaten by her bedding… which feels like something a child would be worried about, right?

Another example, none of the girls have “real” names. Instead, they are named after their attributes. Some of the names are Gorgeous (because she’s beautiful), Kung Fu (because she’s strong/good at fighting), and another is Prof (because she’s smart). This feels like something a kid would come up with when telling you a story.

But even though it feels a bit childish at times, it doesn’t take away from the joy of the movie at all. In fact, I think it adds to the absurdity of it.

Should you watch it?

If you have the time and enjoy a good laugh at weird movies, I recommend checking it out. It’s definitely not a movie that’s for everyone, but if you watch the trailer and have a fun time with it, I think you’ll enjoy it. The trailer shows you exactly what to expect when watching HAUSU.