Paris Hilton’s debut into film was probably a scarier concept than the plot of “House of Wax,” but ultimately, it made for a fun reflection of the culture of 2005, since it didn’t really make for a good film.
Where I watched: DVD
Length: 113 minutes
Prior knowledge of the film: Definitely saw this multiple times throughout the mid-2000’s.
2005 in a nutshell
There’s a big trend currently of people embracing ‘90s nostalgia — whether it’s through fashion, music or movies. My brother and I have always been more partial to romanticizing the mid-2000s, one of the greatest eras of culture in general. Trucker hats, flip phones and nu-metal, all symbols of the fantastic culture of the mid-2000s are represented in this film, in addition to the star-studded cast which epitomized the time period. The film is most notable for being a film which stars Paris Hilton, one of the most famous celebrities at the time, who was famous for being famous. To combat this, Hilton released an album (which honestly is pretty good) and starred in “House of Wax,” (which can’t have the same said about it). The film also starred Chad Michael Murray and Jared Padalecki, both known for their work in the mid-2000s. If historians in the future want to know what 2005 was like culturally, I really hope they turn to this film for their answers.
Was it actually scary?
The movie definitely has its scares, but sometimes the nostalgia of the film is too overwhelmingly funny to be scared while watching this film, though. In the frightening scene where Paris Hilton is killed, for example, I focused more on the fact that I was watching a film starring Paris Hilton, rather than the scariness of her being stalked and murdered.
Overall consensus
I can see how almost anyone who watches this movie would hate it, but it’s such a staple of my teen years that I can’t help but love it. “House of Wax” has a genuinely pretty creepy plot, although it’s definitely not executed to the best of its ability, and probably one of my favorite casts ever compiled for a film (besides “This is the End”). It’s not the best film, but I’ll probably always love it.