Goosebumps Review: Viewers Beware, You're In For A (Very Fun And Nostalgic) Scare
If you're a horror fan of a certain age, R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" books and the subsequent YTV television series were formative to your monster kid upbringing. Whether it was thirsting after the new cover illustrated by Tim Jacobus at the Scholastic Book Fair or rushing to get your homework done to be able to watch the newest episode on TV, "Goosebumps" was and continues to be a seminal gateway to the world of all things spooky and scary for young audiences. In 2015, a "Goosebumps" film by Rob Letterman was released featuring Jack Black as a fictionalized version of Stine whose monstrous musings manifest in our real world, and the film performed well enough at the box office to justify a Halloween-themed sequel three years later.
The film and TV series are both loads of fun with plenty of silly scares, but neither live-action adaptation has been able to truly capture the genuine terror found in many of Stine's books. Fortunately, that's now changing with the new "Goosebumps" series from Nicholas Stoller ("The Muppets") and Rob Letterman ("Pokémon Detective Pikachu"). A collaboration between Disney Branded Television and Sony Pictures Television, the new "Goosebumps" series is not an anthology show, but instead pulls from elements of popular books like "Say Cheese and Die!," "The Haunted Mask," "The Cuckoo Clock of Doom," "Go Eat Worms!" and "Night of the Living Dummy" to create a new tale of horror plaguing a small community.
31 years after the release of R.L. Stine's first "Goosebumps" novel, the new "Goosebumps" horror-comedy series finally delivers a live-action adaptation that successfully exists in the balance between fun and fright.
Goosebumps for multiple generations
"Goosebumps" is centered on the tragic story of Harold Biddle, a teenager who died in the 1990s, seemingly at the hands of his classmates. Those classmates are now adults with teenagers of their own, and Biddle has returned with a vengeance to enact his revenge against the progeny of those who caused his untimely demise. If this sounds a lot like a cross between "A Nightmare on Elm Street," and "I Know What You Did Last Summer," you're right.
Rather than pull from the totally radical '90s-isms to appease adult viewers hoping to get their nostalgic "Goosebumps" fix, the series instead evokes a very Kevin Williamson approach to the horror. What I mean by that, is that the story is as much of a mystery as it is a tale of terror. Not only are there moments of unbridled scares, but there's an overarching feeling of suspense that keeps even the most lighthearted moments weighted with seriousness.
There's plenty of humor rooted in visual gags and the absurdity of a "Goosebumps" story, but for the most part, the humor feels extremely Gen Z. Meaning, it's self-deprecating, it's deflective, it's sardonic, often absurd, and it's extremely observational. The teens of "Goosebumps" use humor as a shield, and the writers room deserves the utmost praise for writing characters that authentically talk like today's teens, and don't sound what a thirtysomething thinks teens sound like.
This allows "Goosebumps" to appeal to the generation who grew up reading the books and watching the original TV series without feeling like cheap nostalgia, while simultaneously introducing the franchise to a new generation with different sensibilities and feelings on humor. As we continue wading through our IP-obsessed media landscape, "Goosebumps" sets the bar on how to make a return to a legacy property feel fresh and entertaining without alienating new viewers in service of those who grew up loving it.
An absolutely killer cast
The cast of "Goosebumps" also reflects this generational merging. Ana Yi Puig, Miles McKenna, Will Price, Zack Morris (No, not that one), and Isa Briones lead the cast of meddling teens, while comedy staples like Rob Huebel, Rachael Harris, and Gillian Vigman, are just some of the adults. The latter trio have been working comedic character actors for decades, and their chemistry is palpable. It's also yet another way the series appeals to the now-adult fans of the original. Rachael Harris in particular delivers a stand-out performance, and her presence is a great bridge of the generational gap. For instance, I'll never be able to see her without immediately thinking of her participation in VH1 shows like "I Love the '90s," but the younger generation probably associates her with the mom from the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series.
Speaking of — the secret weapon of "Goosebumps" is Scream King and comedy mainstay, Justin Long. Anyone who caught last year's "Barbarian" already knows that Long is in a golden era of starring in "fun horror" projects, and "Goosebumps" is no different. He's clearly having a blast playing in this sandbox, and the tone completely plays to his strengths. One minute he's essentially a human cartoon character, and the next minute he's sporting a sinister smile that sends shivers down your spine. Quite frankly, I don't think anyone else could have played this role.
But it's the kids that really hold this all together. Miles McKenna is another shining example that believing people who got their start on YouTube are incapable of real acting is total malarkey, Ana Yi Puig is a scream queen waiting to happen, Will Price will break your heart, Isa Briones is a final girl in the making, and Will Price has all the makings of a leading man. They all hold their own against an impressive cast of adults and are never outshined by the scary happenings.
The perfect way to usher in the spooky season
If there's one thing to knock "Goosebumps" for, it's that the CG is a bit inconsistent, where some effects work extremely well while others are painfully fake-looking. At least with the original "Goosebumps" series, there was a charm to the cheap practical effects looking as silly as the cheap digital enhancements. However, none of them are egregious enough to pull you out of the story. The use of CG allows this series to go to more extreme places that any of the earlier adaptations were too afraid to go, and if you can suspend your disbelief enough to give yourself over to the world of Stine's books, you can ignore the occasional digital shine that sometimes dilutes a good scare.
But "Goosebumps" hits that perfect gateway sweet spot between family-friendly fare and mature, capital-H "Horror" entertainment. This is the type of show you watch with your friends after chugging too much pop and overloading on snacks, or race home to finish after trick-or-treating (even if your neighbors think you're getting a little too old for the practice). Just like R.L. Stine's books, this is a show that will resonate with middle schoolers, brave elementary schoolers, and high school students who haven't become "too cool" to enjoy a show based on "kids books." Ultimately, "Goosebumps" isn't reinventing the wheel, but is instead an amalgamation of a variety of well-loved ideas and themes and given a fresh new spin. Which was, at its core, exactly what R.L. Stine was doing with his original book series. As such, this makes this new series the best adaptation of "Goosebumps" yet.
/Film Rating: 8 out of 10
The first five episodes of the 10-part series will arrive as part of Disney+'s "Hallowstream" and Hulu's "Huluween" celebrations on October 13, 2023, with subsequent new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays.