OUR House (12) Buena Vista Home Entertainment Rating: 3 out of 5.

When a house-hunting couple stumble upon the home of their dreams, it just seems too good to be true.

Unfortunately, that proves to be exactly the case, for when the young New Yorkers move in they soon discover they're landed with the neighbour from hell.

This cautionary tale, directed by Danny DeVito, is a darkly comic look at the perils of house-buying and the secrets that even the most attractive-looking properties can hide.

Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore look perfectly at home as the upwardly mobile young couple convinced they've snapped up a bargain when they buy a town house which comes with a top floor tenant in the form of a sweet-natured old lady.

Before long, however, the perky pensioner is running rings around the pair with an unending series of demands and unneighbourly behaviour that drives them up the wall.

There are some hilarious set pieces along the way, as the newcomers strive to be accommodating landlords, only to find their goodwill thrown back in their faces by a treacherous tenant.

Stiller plays an author struggling to complete his second novel who buys the house as a haven to develop his creative skills, but soon finds more peace and quiet in a nearby Starbucks coffee bar.

Barrymore is a high-flying magazine editor who is also brought down to earth with more than a jolt by her elderly tenant's antics.

A sharp and witty script gives Stiller and Barrymore plenty of opportunities to shine and confirm their terrific comic timing, while full marks must go to co-star Eileen Essell as the cantankerous old lady.

Great fun to watch, Our House comes with an obligatory twist-in-the-tale ending which, while hardly surprising, helps to tie up a few loose ends in the plot.

Out to rent or buy on video and DVD