Overview
A master of wax sculptures creates lifelike horrors that blur the line between art and madness.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- macabre
- lurid
- suspenseful
- classic horror night
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film as an effective, visually impressive 3-D horror thriller while remaining divided over its melodramatic plot and dated execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henry Jarrod's wax museum and its lifelike historical tableaux provide both the film's central setting and its macabre visual hook.
Jarrod treats wax sculpture as a pure art form while increasingly using people as materials for his cherished creations.
The Warner Bros. production prominently exploits 3-D presentation through depth shots and physicalized attractions.
Jarrod returns after the fire with burned hands and a changed appearance that intensifies the mystery surrounding his new museum.
Films like House of Wax, and why
The Phantom of the Opera
shared gothic horror, macabre spectacle, theatrical villainy, and stylized period atmosphere
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
shared classic horror, disfigurement themes, obsessive artistry, and tragic melodrama
Mystery of the Wax Museum
shared horror-crime plotting, waxwork imagery, lurid atmosphere, and psychological menace
The Mad Magician
shared gothic horror, secretive scientific spaces, grotesque transformation, and heightened melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- André de Toth
- Release Date
- 1953-04-16
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (397)
Cast
- Vincent Price
- Frank Lovejoy
- Phyllis Kirk
- Carolyn Jones
- Paul Picerni
- Roy Roberts
- Angela Clarke
- Paul Cavanagh
- Dabbs Greer
- Charles Bronson
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is House of Wax about?
- A visionary wax sculptor rebuilds his museum around lifelike macabre figures while his obsession turns artists, models, and investigators into pieces of a deadly tableau.
- What is House of Wax like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of House of Wax as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is House of Wax violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in House of Wax as moderate.
- What did critics think of House of Wax?
- Critics broadly recognized the film as an effective, visually impressive 3-D horror thriller while remaining divided over its melodramatic plot and dated execution.
- Which films are like House of Wax?
- Films with a similar feel include The Phantom of the Opera, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Mystery of the Wax Museum, and The Mad Magician.
- How long is House of Wax?
- House of Wax runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch House of Wax?
- In United States, House of Wax is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
