MADHOUSE
A chaotic houseguest comedy best left unseen.
Should You Watch It?
The source review finds little to recommend here. What begins as a comedy about an overwhelmed Los Angeles couple becomes an increasingly frenzied series of unwanted houseguests, destructive behavior, and implausible mayhem. By day 27, the review says, none of it has yet been funny.
The content is also excessive. Characters destroy property, use obscenities and profanities, make crude sexual references, and treat murder lightly. The movie’s angry promise that “A man is king of his castle!” leads to revenge rather than the peace commended in Proverbs 17:1.
The practical answer is simple: skip Madhouse and choose something better instead.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESMark and Jennifer Bannister are a successful Los Angeles couple whose home is overtaken by a succession of unwanted guests. First come Mark’s unemployed cousin and his wife. Then Jennifer’s spoiled sister, followed by her drug-dealing son. After a neighbor’s house burns down, the neighbor and his two children move in as well. The crowded household pushes Mark and Jennifer toward the breaking point.
Is It Any Good?
The source gives Madhouse zero stars. It says the film is worse than many television sitcoms, and that the escalating chaos becomes so implausible that its premise is stretched beyond its limit.
The review also says the movie fails to become funny even after weeks of mayhem. Its shallow characters and increasingly frenzied situations do not provide enough entertainment to outweigh the film’s content problems.
The Worldview
The film centers on a couple whose home is invaded by ungrateful, unruly guests. It presents the resulting frustration through destruction, obscenities, crude sexual references, and revenge. The source review says the characters are shallow and that the movie makes light-hearted treatment of murder.
The film’s line that “A man is king of his castle!” points toward control and retaliation. But the source contrasts that attitude with the biblical value of peace in the home: “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet, than a house full of feasting, with strife” (Proverbs 17:1).
The source also notes a brief mocking treatment of a clergyman. Overall, the review finds the movie’s approach to conflict morally and artistically unhelpful.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Some obscenities and profanities; lewd strip tease and some crude sexual innuendos; destruction of property; and, the brief mocking of a clergyman.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The movie’s central conflict involves a home filled with strife. Why does Proverbs describe peace as better than abundance, and what helps bring peace into a tense home?
Proverbs 17:1 · Romans 12:18The source says the characters respond to their frustrations through revenge. What is the difference between justice and personal vengeance?
Romans 12:19 · Proverbs 20:22The film’s characters are described as ungrateful and unruly. What does Scripture teach about gratitude and self-control?
1 Thessalonians 5:18 · Galatians 5:22–23The source mentions the mocking of a clergyman. How should Christians speak about people, including those with whom they disagree?
Ephesians 4:29 · James 3:9–10The Final Word
The source review finds Madhouse neither funny nor worthwhile, with excessive content that makes it a poor choice for families and adults alike. Our answer is clear: SKIP IT. For better options, see.
