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With Halloween upon us and spooky season in full swing, audiences everywhere have been binging their favorite spine-tingling classics in honor of the chilling holiday, streamingfan-favorites likeBeetlejuice, Scream, Casper,andThe Addams Familyto celebrate. Though popular animated flicks likeThe Nightmare Before ChristmasandThe Corpse Brideare constantly in rotation for viewers, another fantastic yet criminally underrated movie deserves far more love: the 2006 horror comedyMonster House.
Featuring a star-studded voice cast including Steve Buscemi, Catherine O’Hara, Kathleen Turner, and Maggie Gyllenhaal,Monster Housefocuses on three precocious 12-year-olds as they come to the horrific realization that the terrifying house across the street is actually possessed and wants to wreak havoc on innocent trick-or-treaters on Halloween night. Together, the trio join forces to stop the menacing spirit from destroying the beloved holiday, taking moviegoers on a thrilling rollercoaster ride. Let’s take a closer look atMonster Houseand explore just why it deserves to be added to your must-watch Halloween list.
Monster House
Monster House Is a Spooktacular Halloween Extravaganza
Gil Kenan made his spectacular directorial debut when he helmed the 2006 animated horror comedyMonster House, a fun and visually stunning hit that follows 12-year-old best friends D.J. (Mitchell Musso) and Chowder (Sam Lerner) as they make the hair-raising realization that the spooky house across the street is actually alive and capable of causing unfathomable terror in their neighborhood.With Halloween nightquickly approaching, the two panicked pals make it their mission to stop the menacing structure from targeting unassuming trick-or-treaters, enlisting the help of the spunky candy seller Jenny (Spencer Locke).
Monster Housefeatures a phenomenal voice cast of some of Hollywood’s greatest performers,with Steve Buscemimemorably voicing the cranky and frightening Horace Nebbercracker, D.J.’s elderly neighbor who owns the haunted estate and is constantly chasing unwanted visitors off his property. Other noteworthy stars include Kathleen Turner as Horace’s vengeful late-wife Constance “The Giantess” Nebbercracker, whose angry spirit inhabits the home, as well as popular names like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Catherine O’Hara, and Kevin James rounding out the roles of the supporting characters.
Monster House Delivers Thrills and Chills
Monster Housewas executive produced by cinema legendsRobert Zemeckisand Steven Spielbergand was shot using motion capture, a process that theForrest Gumpdirector heavily pioneered in his 2004 Christmas classicThe Polar Express.Gil Kenan visited the set of the holiday film to see how motion capture was done and implemented the intricate process with his young and talented cast.The neighborhood and setting featured in the animated movie were heavily modeled after ’80s hits likeE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialandThe ‘Burbswhile also taking inspiration from the house featured in the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiecePsycho.
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The Halloween hit made its debut on June 07, 2025, and earned $22.2 million in its opening weekend, placing second behindPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chestand going on to ultimately gross an impressive $141.9 million during its theatrical run. A slam dunk with both moviegoers and critics,Monster Housegarnered rave reviews for its eye-catching animation, spellbinding storyline, and lovable eclectic characters, with many favorably comparing it to Tim Burton’s dazzling creations.
Not only didMonster Housedominate at the box office and charm audiences worldwide, but it was also nominated for numerous prestigious accolades, including an Academy Award and Golden Globe nod for Best Animated Feature (ultimately losing toHappy FeetandCars,respectively).Monster Housecurrently holds a solid 75% Rotten Tomatoes score, withEmpirecommending then-newcomer Gil Kenan and his refreshingly fearless vision for the flick, writing: “A kind ofGooniesfor the Noughties,Monster Houseis a visually dazzling thrill ride that scales greater heights through its winning characters and poignantly etched emotions” and calling it, “a scary, sharp, funny movie.”
Monster House Is a Must-See Underrated Animated Gem
ThoughMonster Housemay not be as well known as fellow animatedHalloween staples likeThe Nightmare Before ChristmasandThe Corpse Bride, it is nonetheless a true visual feast for the eyes and wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries when it came to delivering thrills and chills for young viewers. The captivating animated flick is jam-packed full of quirky characters like the wise-cracking Chowder, sardonic babysitter Zee, and pizza delivery boy/occult wiz Skull (Jon Heder), and Kenan fully utilized the talents of his ensemble cast and allowed them all to truly shine in their own ways.
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Aside from the stunning animation and endearing characters,Monster Houseincludes a fascinating and downright dark and edgy backstory explaining how the doomed property first came to be, with Horace Nebbercracker saving his late wife Constance from being forced to be in a circus freak show due to her obesity. After Horace marries Constance and they begin to build their dream home together, she accidentally falls into wet cement and suffocates after being harassed by children, thus kicking off her vengeful reign and possession of the house. Kenan was not afraid to scare moviegoers and did not hold back, tellingEntertainment Weeklyin 2006:
“All the movies I really loved growing up scared me.Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,The Wizard of Oz,E.T.,The Neverending Story,Gremlins— they didn’t hold back. I don’t know what’s happened in our culture and in our filmmaking in the 20 years since I was a kid…I miss the feeling of going to a movie not knowing what to expect — and feeling like there’s a potential to be scared.”
In the nearly 20 years sinceMonster Housemade its premiere in theaters, the underrated animated gem has steadily amassed a passionate following and has become a must-see stapleduring the spooky season.Audiences will thoroughly enjoy the wonderful nostalgiaMonster Houseinvokesand appreciate the wholesome heart featured in the flick as they become swept up in the horror and humor of the Halloween hit. Fans will also be excited to learn that Kenan has entertained the idea of doing a sequel or spin-off, coyly expressing “never say never” in a 2024 interview withComicBook.comwhen it comes to a potential follow-up.Monster Houseis available to stream onFreevee.
