Max Winslow and the House of Secrets

MOVIE TITLE: Max Winslow and the House of Secrets

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed by Emmy Award-winning editor Sean Olson, this family-friendly film features five teenagers who compete to win a mansion owned by an eccentric billionaire with secrets. It’s a clean Young Adult thriller that feels a bit like a new generation combination of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory meets and Escape Room with a sweet The Breakfast Club message.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

It’s really great to have a spooky movie for families instead of yet one more super bloody horror film.
Virtue
Honesty
There are some spooky moments but nothing super scary for most kids. One of the teen plays video games with scary creatures he has to kill though.

THEMES:

“It doesn’t work unless all things work together.” – Max Winslow (Sydne Mikelle)
Have the courage to be the real you
We can all be a little better

THINGS I LIKED:

The house has some cool, high-tech features.
Fun fact: the high school scenes were filmed at Bentonville High School in Northwest Arkansas with the real students from the school.
Each of the teenagers has a clear personality, so it’s easy to see their flaws and the important lessons they learn.
If you enjoy solving puzzles and riddles, you’ll get a kick out of some of the challenges.
The humor doesn’t always land but it’s nice that they tried.
Keep watching after what you think is the last scene.
It feels timely and relevant.
There is a youthful vibe to it that reminded me of the Goosebumps

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some of the acting moments were cringeworthy.
That “artificial life form” knight in armor looked an awful lot like a guy in a costume.
The lights in the mansion are turned off during the majority of the movie so the scenes will look really dark when viewing the film on small devices during streaming.
There are some really lame lines.

INTERESTING LINES:

“I’d rather you hate the real me than love a total lie.” – Connor Lawson (Tanner Buchanan)
“Forgiving me won’t change what happened but it could change what will happen to you.” – Will Winslow (Chuch Mere)
“If technology can create a problem, then why shouldn’t we let it create a solution?” – Atticus Virtue (Chad Michael Murray)

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