House of Wax (6/10 Rating)

Released May 6, 2005

For rent/purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Slasher Horror, Teen Horror, Horror, Thriller

R: Horror violence, some sexual content, and language

1h 53m

            One of my favorite movie discoveries of recent years is Tourist Trap (1979). It certainly has its flaws, but it is genuinely creepy and, with the right producers, could be a great remake. If only someone would take on that challenge. As I was rewatching House of Wax, this month’s Movie You Missed, I thought…” this sure is like Tourist Trap.” That would be because…this is in fact a remake of that film and Warner Bros. insisted that House of Wax be used as the title as it was more recognizable. Aside from the title, a character being named Vincent (A nod to Vincent Price), and a few other waxy moments, the plot has nothing to do with the 1953 version or the original 1933 Mystery of the Wax Museum. A group of teens stumble upon an old town with an abandoned wax museum, only to find there are more gruesome details to the sculpted figures and they may become the next subjects of the artist. The cast was fairly stacked at the time with teen stars like Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill, Freaky Friday, A Cinderella Story), Paris Hilton (The Simple Life), Elisha Cuthbert (The Girl Next Door, Love Actually, 24), and Jared Padalecki (Supernatural, Friday the 13th). They are all fine; better than many of the casts in similar movies. Perchance. We don’t need much from the cast for this script. This movie is for horror fans and while considered a failure during its release, has gone on to have a cult following obtaining more fans over the years. The kills are creative, and the filmmakers used mostly practical effects in a time when CGI was overused by every studio. While the effects may look more realistic, don’t expect realism in the plot. There are enough twists to entertain most first-time viewers, and the suspense is built up well throughout. There is an overhead shot during one chase that stood out. The view made for added stress seeing the villain clearly gain on his victim. This is full of gore and some effects that will make you squirm. House of Wax is teen slasher fun. We won’t be waxing philosophical anytime soon about this one, but check it out along with its namesake 1953 version and Tourist Trap.

Also released in May 2025: Kingdom of Heaven, Mysterious Skin, Kicking and Screaming, Layer Cake, Monster-in-Law, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, The Longest Yard, Madagascar