When Sam steals a creepy prize pumpkin from Farmer Palmer, his older brother Finn tries to return it and vanishes, triggering a dark town curse where adults magically forget the missing children.
R.L Stine is a creator of my childhood, Goosebumps was the absolute go-to spooky show to watch on the television when I was younger and I feel this adapted short story has glimpses of that charm and cheesiness but ultimately falls flat on its face.
We instantly jump into the plot of the movie and come face to face with a crazed scarecrow who is essentially just a man in a burlap sack with some cool disjointed body moves thrown in for good measure.
Dialogue between characters is very 90’s Nickelodeon levels of cheesiness as the film leans hard into its more family-friendly horror vibe but towards the latter stages of the movie the entire feature gets a lot darker and as soon as it starts to really ramp up in quality and tension, it ends!
It’s quite a shame actually as we speed through the plot at a brisk pace and for younger audiences the scarecrow will certainly be creepy as hell, even as an adult there were some shots within a house that looked particularly gnarly.
The cast sell the film well and whilst it does feel low-budget that’s what made Goosebumps so great but sadly it doesn’t live up to the heights of any Goosebumps episode I’ve ever seen that’s for sure.
It’s enjoyable but don’t get too carried away it’s not going to blow your socks off. This is the perfect film to watch with the family during Halloween season, it’s simplistic and easy to watch and fans of Goosebumps will certainly enjoy it but never to the same degree.
R.L Stine knows his audience and the fun, creepy and cheesy 90s vibes I’m all here for.
Welcome to horror movies kids!
R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead is out on 17 Aug on Digital HD and on DVD.
Our Rating
Summary
Cheesy vibes all-round and a perfect introduction for a younger audience into the world of horror. It oozes 90’s Nickelodeon / Cartoon Network vibes with comedic charm and spooky moments here and there. It’s not perfect but it’s for sure watchable and enjoyable for the family during the Halloween season!
