The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)

Lewis, an inquisitive ten-year-old with an anachronistic steampunk taste in eyewear, loses both his parents in a car accident and goes to live with his weird uncle Jonathan (Jack Black, who brings his comfortable Goosebumps chops out of mothballs), and his best friend and neighbor Florence (Cate Blanchett, who can seemingly do anything).

Noticing strange goings-on in the house (as any ten-year-old would), it’s revealed that Jonathan is a warlock and Florence is a witch. That’s great news, obviously, if you’re a kid, as Lewis now vaults headlong into the world of magic. But it’s bad news as well, as he learns that the house was previously owned by an evil mage who soon tries to enact his dark plans from beyond the grave. Can Lewis and his new family stop him before he ends the existence of every human being, past, present or future? No spoilers, but it’s rated PG, so draw your own conclusions.

Based on the beloved children’s book by John Bellairs and directed by the usually very upsetting Eli Roth, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is charming throwback to the old-school fantasy-thriller for kids, with more than a dash of comedy to lighten the mood. And – just a reminder – Oct. 17 is a DAY OFF for Tampa Bay area public schools, so what better way to spend the afternoon with your little ghouls and goblins than with a “Mummy & Me” screening that is FREE for kids ages 12 and younger?