Film

The House

Name: The House
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Released: 2017
Cast: Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, Jason Mantzoukas, Ryan Simpkins, Nick Kroll

Other titles called The House: the 2022 film.

A screwball comedy about suburban desperation: when college tuition bankrupts them, two parents and their neighbor open an illegal casino in a basement. It's anarchic and messy, powered by Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell's chemistry and a willingness to let chaos completely override plot. Broad, silly, and often uncomfortably crude—for people who find that liberating rather than exhausting.

TMDb rating

2.8

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Game Night2018

A similarly fun-loving crime-adjacent comedy with Ryan Reynolds and Rachel McAdams, built on smart ensemble chemistry and a genuine plot that doesn't feel like a frame for gags.

But It's more polished and conventional than The House, which some will find boring but others will find actually watchable.

Horrible Bosses2011

Three mismatched friends scheme to solve an impossible problem. It has the same energy of regular people doing terrible things and getting in deeper, with Jason Bateman selling desperation beautifully.

But The comedy is often punchy but scattered, and the premise wears thin before the film remembers it needs an ending.

The Other Guys2010

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as incompetent detectives, committed to chaos and insanity. It's looser and funnier than The House, with more genuine momentum behind the absurdity.

But If you don't buy into Ferrell's particular brand of committed idiocy, the whole thing evaporates for you.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The House

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Pain & Gain2013

Both are built on the energy of regular people making catastrophically bad decisions together, escalating from nervous first steps to absolute nihilism, with money as the corrupting driver.

Michael Bay's true-crime comedy about steroid-addled gym employees committing absurd crimes for money. It's garish, crude, energetic, and genuinely unsettling—the chaos here is born from stupidity and moral vacancy, not just mishap.

But It's genuinely hard to watch sometimes, with an ugly streak that makes The House look cuddly. The film doesn't quite know whether to sympathize with or mock its criminals.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping2016

Andy Samberg as a delusional pop star, surrounded by a brilliant ensemble. It's messy and scattershot in the best way, committed to jokes you'll never see coming.

But It completely ignores narrative logic, which is either its greatest strength or an exhausting mess depending on your mood.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping poster

Sisters2015

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reunite for a wild night fueled by chaos and bad decisions. It has a similar basement-party energy and genuine warmth under the mayhem.

But Poehler already proved she can carry this kind of film; you're paying for comfort rather than discovery.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone2013

Steve Carell and Will Ferrell as washed-up magicians, with a surprising amount of sweetness beneath the ridiculousness. Jim Carrey steals it entirely.

But It can't decide what it wants to be, and that indecision shows; you might sense the script being rewritten in real time.

Tropic Thunder2008

A war-comedy committed to letting every actor go completely unhinged. The ensemble's willingness to look ridiculous is total, and it never lets up.

But It's aggressively loud and competitive—everyone fighting to be the funniest person in the room, which can feel exhausting.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy2004

Will Ferrell as a news anchor in 1970s San Diego, surrounded by equally committed ensemble weirdness. It's a masterclass in tone and team comedy.

But It's been quoted to death; watching it now feels like arriving late to a party where everyone's already drunk.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy poster

Let's Go to Prison2006

Dax Shepard and Will Ferrell as a convict and his unlikely cellmate, committed to crude comedy with surprising heart. It's weird and unafraid to be ugly.

But It's a genuine cult item, which means it looks cheap and feels incomplete; it needed a bigger audience to justify its ambition.

Booksmart2019

Same night-of-escalating-chaos structure, same discovery that normal people aren't equipped for what they're attempting, but Wilde treats her characters with respect that keeps the comedy grounded in real stakes.

Olivia Wilde's directorial debut about two honor students trying to cram four years of rebellion into one night. It's visually inventive, genuinely smart, and never lets chaos override character—it's The House with discipline.

But If you want anarchic mess, this is too tightly constructed; it prioritizes meaning over mayhem, which can feel like a betrayal of the premise.

After Hours1985

Both follow ordinary people into a situation that promises easy money but becomes increasingly unhinged, except Scorsese treats the whole thing as a descent into hell, not a party that got out of hand.

Martin Scorsese's surreal nightmare-comedy about a man's night spiraling into pure chaos in downtown Manhattan. It's absurdist and darkly comedic, with a dream logic that makes The House's plot look documentary-like.

But It's deliberately bleak and alienating; the comedy comes from dread rather than warmth. You won't be rooting for anyone to win, and you might feel unsettled rather than entertained.