Dec 16, 2021

Watch the spooky first trailer for Netflix's stop-motion movie "The House"

Woodlice dance, a mouse is hospitalized, and a man is haunted by a large head in the first trailer for The House, which delivers on the project's promise of quirky dark comedy.

The trailer gives a strong flavor of Netflix's stop-motion anthology film, showcasing its subtle animation and eerie ambience, which is nicely sustained across the three contrasting segments. Watch it below, ahead of the film's premiere on January 14:

Each segment tells the story of the titular house in a different era, focusing on its inhabitants at that time. In the first, set in the 1800s, an impoverished man meets a mysterious benefactor. The second part follows a property developer trying to make a quick sale in the present day. The third takes place in the near future, when the landscape around the house has changed drastically.

The House is produced by Nexus Studios in the U.K., with each part directed by a different luminary of indie stop motion: Niki Lindroth von Bahr (The Burden), Paloma Baeza (Poles Apart), and Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels (This Magnificent Cake!).

The characters are voiced by an all-star cast of mostly British actors, including Claudie Blakley, Matthew Goode, Mia Goth, Mark Heap, Miranda Richardson, Josh McGuire, Stephanie Cole, Jarvis Cocker, Dizzee Rascal, Yvonne Lombard, Sven Wollter, Helena Bonham-Carter, Paul Kaye, Will Sharpe, and Susan Wokoma.

Netflix is placing a big emphasis on stop-motion animation in 2022. Besides The House, they are also currently planning to release two stop-motion features: Henry Selick's Wendell & Wild and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.