This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cate Blanchette, from left, Owen Vaccaro and Jack Black in a scene from "The House With A Clock in Its Walls." (Quantrell D. Colbert/Universal Pictures via AP)

Grab the kids and head to the theater for a spooky good time with the new horror comedy “The House with a Clock in Its Walls.”

 Based on the novel by John Bellairs, the film is the story of Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), a young boy sent to live with his uncle, Jonathan (Jack Black), following the death of his parents. Jonathan lives in a giant, creepy house filled with clocks where he insists upon no rules, no bedtimes and chocolate chip cookies for dinner.

 Rating: **** (out of 5)

Lewis notices pretty quickly that something is off about Jonathan and the house. One night after being terrified by objects in the house moving, Lewis decides to flee.  Jonathan stops him and explains that the house actually likes the boy. Jonathan reveals to his nephew that he is a warlock, which Lewis calls a “boy witch.”

Lewis asks his uncle to teach him magic and Jonathan agrees. Alongside his neighbor and friend, Florence (Cate Blanchett), Lewis learns to become a warlock.

Jonathan often is preoccupied with trying to find a hidden clock in the house left behind by his old partner, Issac (Kyle McLaughlin), who died performing a spell. Now, as the clock counts down, Jonathan and Florence must find the clock before it brings about whatever horrible plan Issac put into place.

 “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” is directed by Eli Roth, who is best known for directing “Cabin Fever” and “Hostel.” He is the last guy on the planet most people would pick to direct a kids movie. Then again, the guy who directed “Saw” is bringing us “Aquaman” this Christmas season, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Actually, Roth is a good choice for this film. His career has been about balancing scares and humor.

As a fan of horror movies, I often see discussions about good horror movies to show to your kids without leaving them irreparably scarred. If you are a parent asking that question, this might be a good place to start. It manages to be creepy, but, also remembering that the target audience is children, is quite lighthearted as well.

 “The House” with the longest title ever is a charming fantasy. It is the kind of magical tale that can entertain audiences young and old. Some jokes definitely aim to make younger kids laugh while older kids and adults will appreciate the story.

The film even has the best performances ever in a Roth work, which isn’t a hard feat to accomplish, really. Black is naturally crazy and zany but shows some restraint and occasional dramatic heartfelt moments. Coming off of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” where he all but stole the show, and “Goosebumps,” his first venture into kid-friendly horror, he’s on a hot streak.

Vaccaro is wonderful as Lewis. Good child actors are sometimes hard to find and they found one here. Blanchett, who I always enjoy watching, is naturally charming and funny.

This movie came out at the right time, now that fall is here. Grab the kids and see it. If you don’t have kids, go see it anyway. It’s a funny, spooky way to get ready for Halloween.