There's something about stop-motion animation's tactile nature that makes it perfect for telling creepy, surreal stories. The new Netflix anthology film The House continues a tradition that includes the works of Laika, Tim Burton, and Czech filmmaker Jan Švankmajer, immersing viewers in an unsettling environment with a recognizable physical and otherworldly presence. The House contains three segments, each directed by a different director. Despite the segments' differing and unique directorial visions, the Netflix movie finds unity with its setting and concepts -- thanks to screenwriter Enda Walsh's efforts.

As the title implies, The House takes place in a home. The opening segment from Belgian directors Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels starts with a bit of a fakeout on what that house will be. The pair introduce a family living in a modest country cottage in what looks like the 19th century. Father Raymond (Matthew Goode) comes from wealth but is now living modestly with his wife and two daughters. Raymond's family members arrive to see the new baby and spend their time passive-aggressively disapproving of Raymond's choices.

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Later, in the woods surrounding the house, Raymond receives a tantalizing offer: a famous, reclusive architect has bought up all the land around the family's cottage, and if they agree to sign over their house and land, he will build them a lavish new home, on the condition that they agree to live in it. This is an obviously sinister bargain, but Raymond eagerly agrees, bringing his family to a fully furnished mansion. Raymond and his wife are disturbingly mesmerized by the food that appears at each mealtime and by the activities provided by their benefactor, but young Mabel (Mia Goth) is suspicious. The house is perpetually under construction, recalling the famous real-life Winchester Mystery House.

Netflix's The House

De Swaef and Roels create their characters out of what looks like felt with big, round heads and small features. This design gives their characters a shifty look even when they're earnest and pleasant. The horrors of this segment build slowly, seen through the eyes of the innocent but savvy Mabel, who perceives dangers her parents either ignore or don't understand. The terror comes from the segment's atmosphere more than specific incidents. The story builds to an unnerving effect that's stronger than any straightforward haunting.

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The House's next segments are more surreal. From the mind of Swedish director Niki Lindroth von Bahr, The House's second segment shows plenty of gross-out horror moments. In this segment, the house is incongruously stuck in the middle of a modern city. Von Bahr makes her characters anthropomorphic rats, and the unnamed protagonist (Jarvis Cocker of rock band Pulp) tries to renovate the house into a modern luxury dwelling. He's nervous and jumpy, having poured his life savings into this endeavor.

Netflix's The House

The house, of course, has other ideas. It's still cursed, but this time sends hordes of insects that the developer futilely attempts to kill. Later, a weird couple at the open house tell him they're "very interested" in the house, and refuse to leave. It's a twisted metaphor for vermin infestation, and von Bahr uses her initially cuddly animated rats to subvert audience expectations. The segment is darkly humorous, from a full-on insect musical number to an amusing revelation about the person the protagonist keeps calling "darling" on the phone.

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The House's final segment, from British director Paloma Baeza, offers glimmers of hope that are absent from the previous two bleak stories. In some undefined post-apocalyptic future, the city surrounding the house has been almost entirely submerged underwater. The house, despite being built atop a hill, is in danger of being subsumed. That hasn't stopped the latest owner, Rosa (Susan Wokoma), from continuing her efforts to subdivide the house into apartments for rent. There's clearly not much of a market for apartments in this Waterworld-like setting, and Rosa's only two tenants, slacker Elias (Will Sharpe) and new-age dreamer Jen (Helena Bonham Carter) haven't paid her in months. Baeza's characters are all anthropomorphic cats, and they're cuter and less menacing than von Bahr's rats. However, they still fit into Walsh's off-kilter world. The last segment ends the film on a sweet but uncertain note.

Walsh doesn't exactly bring the story full-circle, but The House has a more cohesive thematic journey than most anthology films. Overall, The House boasts gorgeous and unique visuals. Even if the second and third segments don't have the same visceral impact as the first, the movie is a showcase for up-and-coming animation talent, and it is a delightfully bizarre viewing experience from beginning to end.

Step into the stop-motion world of The House, debuting on Netflix Friday, Jan. 14.

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