While House of Wax is a remake, it has very little in common with the original. The 1953 House of Wax is about a sculptor who is restoring his burned collection using murder victims.   The 2005 version focuses on twins and their friends who get lost while traveling and end up in a town containing the Wax Museum. It’s honestly one of the rare remakes of this era that isn’t a direct reboot.  It’s an interesting approach. It’s also a movie very locked into 2005. 

• Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
• Written by ; Charles Belden. Chad Hayes. Carey W. Hayes
• Starring: Chad Michael Murray. Paris Hilton. Elisha Cuthbert

Elephant in the Room

One of the best parts of House of Wax, and something that has to be talked about, is the cast.  It’s a great cast to start, full of pretty people who look good in danger: Elisha Cuthbert, Jared  Padalecki, and Chad Michael Murray.  But the movie has one more surprise with Paris Hilton.  Her role isn’t a big one. She’s bait. The movie is aware of who she is, and thematically, her casting makes sense. 

House of Wax is a lot about preserved moments and voyeurism. What better way to make that point than with THE reality star of the time?  Someone who chooses to be preserved for the world in a movie about the dangers of wanting to keep life frozen.  It’s almost good. Especially when the killer films her death so he can recreate it later.

She’s also not the worst actress I’ve seen in a horror movie.  Again, she doesn’t get groundbreaking material, but she’s fine.  She’s bait, but she’s good bait. 

Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray however, get most of the serious plot lines. They play twins, Carly and Nick, to mirror villains Bo and Vincent.  They’re believable in their roles and have genuine chemistry as siblings.  I’ll be honest, I never watched Chad Michael Murray in any of the shows he’s been in, but he’s good here.  

The Bad

House of Wax had all the ingredients for an atmospheric, moody horror piece. It was, however, undone by its timing.  Released in 2005, it was in the early stages of the torture porn boom.  Trying to lean into the elements of what made those films successful without fully committing to the need for that level of suffering ended up hurting the feel of the movie. 

Let me be clear: I have no moral issue with torture porn. It just needs to fit the story thematically. Hostel works.  Random cynical brutality is just that: shock value for the sake of forcing an emotion out of an audience you’re afraid of losing.  Can’t commit emotionally? Cut someone’s tendon. 

The Good

Which is a shame because there are some great elements here. The never-ending funeral for Trudy Sinclaire, the twins’ mother, is a fantastic bit of horror that should have been given more time to breathe. 

That also really applies to the entire atmosphere of the town. This is a nightmare come to life: an entire town preserved in wax, frozen to give two neglected boys what they never had. But 2005 blockbuster horror wasn’t about “quiet” or “subtle”.  

The Plot

So, House of Wax unfolds much like you would expect. The friends get picked off one by one by the twins, while Carly and Nick work to reunite and escape.  

I don’t hate House of Wax. It’s a product of its time, and it does have some interesting ideas.  I’d love to see the same concept in a less gory, more elevated version. The groundwork is there with the contrasting sets of twins. And the movie leaves tiny breadcrumbs of plot devices that could be expanded on. 

On Carly’s first visit to the Wax Museum, she has a genuine appreciation for Vincent’s work. More time could be spent on the art and her appreciation of Vincent’s dark side to better contrast the twins. Since we’re supposed to be misdirected on who the good and evil twin is with Vincent and Bo, mirror that misdirect with our protagonists. 

Also, play up the horror of having wax models watching you. Every scene should feel like a hundred eyes are on our protagonists.   

The 2000’s Problem

It’s hard to blame a movie for delivering what was popular at the time. If the tone was the only flaw of House of Wax, that would be one thing. The script does have some issues, and as usual, the bait is disposable, which sadly includes the awesome Jon Abrahams. 

The script isn’t strong enough to hold up the ideas they want to convey. This needed more than a slasher template to pull it off. I love the final fight sequence, though, as the wax house burns around them.  It’s dramatic and dangerous, and weirdly metaphorical. I also love that Carly kills Bo, disfiguring his face in the process. These small details show that the filmmakers put thought into more than just the kills, and I dig that. 

Final Thoughts

House of Wax is worth a watch. It’s a break from truly self-referential movies while still knowing what it is and when it was made. I wish the entire movie were as good as the ending. But it’s a hell of an ending. 

House of Wax is available on streaming.