The House I Live InMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 77 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
16 OK for kids 16+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    San Francisco Chronicle |

    Jarecki takes a highly original approach to create a compelling, thought-provoking look at a highly relevant and controversial topic. Read full review

  • 100
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    David Simon, creator of "The Wire," who argues that the targeting of minorities, fused with mandatory sentencing, has turned the war on drugs into ''a holocaust in slow motion.'' Read full review

  • 88
    Charlotte Observer | Lawrence Toppman

    I've heard that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. By that standard, the U.S. "War on Drugs" seems crazy indeed in The House I Live In. Read full review

  • 88
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Jarecki's film makes a shattering case against the War on Drugs. Read full review

  • 80
    Wall Street Journal | John Anderson

    The scope of the subject is such that when Mr. Jarecki's voiceover cuts into the narrative, imposing a personal angle on the national story, it reduces the sense of significance its creator aimed for. But that's a fairly backhanded endorsement of a very potent movie. Read full review

  • 75
    New York Post | Farran Smith Nehme

    The evidence Jarecki amasses against the drug wars in The House I Live In is more than strong enough to withstand any excess rhetorical zeal. Read full review

  • 75
    Miami Herald | Rene Rodriguez

    The House I Live In is a work of journalism, not propaganda: Jarecki has done his research and leaves it to you to decide what to make of it. Read full review

  • 75
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    I'm wary of implying that it's your civic duty to see The House I Live In, but - guess what - it is. And see it with someone whose views are different from your own. We're going to need everyone to help get us out of this mess. Read full review

  • 60
    NPR | Mark Jenkins

    The House I Live In shows Nannie Jeter as she hopefully watches Barack Obama's 2008 electoral victory, but doesn't analyze the current president's apparent reluctance to significantly alter anti-drug policies. Read full review

  • 60
    New York Daily News | Elizabeth Weitzman

    As is, the film is more likely to impress the choir than change many minds. Read full review

View more reviews for The House I Live In on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 16+ Powerful film takes aim at the U.S. War on Drugs.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that The House I Live In is a documentary about the War on Drugs and the enormous toll it's taken on the United States. The film makes the shocking argument that the War on Drugs has turned into a profitable industry -- i.e., building new prisons and hiring guards and police; it also suggests some parallels between the War on Drugs and elements of the Holocaust. It's heavy stuff, but the tone is thoughtful and proactive, and many activists have begun working to turn things around -- and the movie encourages viewers to join the fight. There's some strong language, with a few uses of "f--k" and "s--t." Hard drugs are discussed at length and shown, though images of people actually using are only seen fleetingly in photographs and archival footage. The movie's content is impactful enough and responsible enough that older teens could handle it -- and in fact, should be encouraged to see it.
  • Families can talk about The House I Live In's violent and shocking content. How necessary is it for the movie to make its point?
  • Does the movie encourage using or selling drugs in any way? Does it forgive those who do? Is any part of the drug trade glamorized?
  • What can an average person do to help fight against the destructive cycle depicted in the movie?
  • Which of the interviewees in the film best comes across as a positive role model? Why?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: The House I Live In presents some sobering and shocking facts about the United States' war on drugs. Calling attention to these ideas raises hope that we can make changes, and the movie encourages viewers to join the struggle.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: Though the movie paints a mostly negative picture, many of the participants are activists who believe that change is possible.
What to watch for
  • violence false1 Violence: The movie makes reference to the Holocaust and shows the depressing interiors of prisons. Some footage of cops arresting drug "offenders." Very little actual violence is shown, but the overall tone is one of oppression.
  • sex false0 Sexy stuff: Not an issue
  • language false4 Language: Language is infrequent but includes a few uses of "f--k," "s--t," "a--holes," "butt," and "genitals."
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false4 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Though The House I Live In talks heavily about drugs, it isn't actually about drug addiction and only has a few fleeting glimpses of people using drugs (mainly in photographs and archival footage). The movie certainly doesn't encourage using drugs, but it mentions many drugs by name and often shows images of them: pot, cocaine, crack, meth, etc.
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