Goosebumps

Goosebumps manages to be fun and fresh for both kid and adult audiences

If you grew up in the 90s like I did, Goosebumps—in one way or another—was part of your childhood. For me, it was the TV series, plaguing my nightmares with creations such as Carly Beth’s haunted mask, demonic scarecrows, terrorizing lawn gnomes, and, of course, Slappy the dummy.

So when I heard they were developing a movie that would supposedly include the bulk of the series’ monsters, creatures, and horrors, I was skeptical. How would they possibly be able to give a decent amount of screen time to each so that the plot wouldn’t feel crowded and the movie rushed? After the trailer was released I was resigned to the idea that it would end up being more of a light, campy comedy-adventure hybrid of the series I remembered (minus the scares). Goosebumps lite. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Goosebumps manages to be fun and fresh whether you grew up with the series or are a kid who’s just been introduced to the horror genre.

In the film, Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) moves to a new town with his mother (the always engaging Amy Ryan) for a fresh start following the death of his father. But what he doesn’t realize is that they moved next door to R.L. Stine, who isn’t exactly the most friendly neighbor. He’s reclusive, mysterious, brooding, and extremely protective of his daughter, Hannah (Odeya Rush). One night after sneaking into Stine’s house, he and new friend Champ (Ryan Lee) find Stine’s collection of Goosebumps manuscripts. After discovering that opening the books releases their contents into reality, they learn the only way to rid the town of Stine’s creations is to get them back within the confines of their books.

In terms of the Goosebumps brand, the film checks off all the right boxes: new kid moving to a small town? Check. Crazy things happening that the adults don’t believe? Check. Monsters, zombies, and inanimate objects coming to life? Check, check, and check. Goosebumps could have easily devolved into a mere show-and-tell of Stine’s various creations, but the film allows itself the time to breathe and introduce us to the characters. There’s not quite enough time to really flesh them out, but there’s enough details and emotional beats in the screenplay (Zach’s sarcasm and sadness over losing his dad; Champ’s fear of death; Hannah’s longing to be a normal kid) that allow us to feel connected to them and enjoy following them throughout the course of the film. Minnette, Rush, and Lee have good chemistry together, and I was pleasantly surprised by Jack Black as Stine. His performance is completely different from the writer he’s portraying (which was something I wasn’t a fan of originally), but it works well here with the perfect balance of mysteriousness, quirky humor, and over-the-top behavior that makes for an engaging character on the screen.

The real R.L. Stine isn’t shy about saying the Goosebumps books purposefully have a balance of humor and horror—scaring the reader then alleviating the tension with a few laughs—which goes the same for the film. The humor is really well done, with laughs both for the kid and adult audience that manage to be funny without being corny. Whether from the kids, adults (Zach’s trying-to-be-cool mom, zany aunt, or the pair of hysterical bumbling cops), or the film’s own self-awareness (characters mentioning the Goosebumps books and Stine’s comment how one featuring all his creations would never sell), the humor is clever and the laughs well-earned. One of the funniest moments of the film is Stine’s rant about “Steve” King (there’s another King reference that’s just as hilarious and smartly placed) that manages to be funny while giving further insight into Stine’s character. I’m not sure the kids in my audience got that one, but it shows that the film knows its audience and is neither playing down to the kids nor excluding the adults.

As for the monsters, they were actually integrated better than I thought they’d be (and the CGI, which I wasn’t confident in after seeing the trailer, was surprisingly impressive and sharp), with Slappy getting a lot of the screen time. It was a smart decision to make one of Stine’s most memorable (and creepy) creations the ringleader of the bunch, but I found myself wishing he would’ve been a little more scary and villainous, especially for something whose intent was to exact revenge on Stine for keeping him confined within the pages of a manuscript. Though a welcome presence on the big screen, with his quips and jokes, he seemed to be more mischievous rather than evil. Which is something you could say about the film in general. There are some creepy moments and images, but I wish it would’ve taken a few more risks with the scare factor.

It took nearly twenty years for Goosebumps to make it to the big screen, so this isn’t a movie that can be accused of being rushed. It manages to capture the spirit of the series (both television and, I assume, book). So whether your craving 90s nostalgia or a fun, entertaining movie to get you in the Halloween spirit, this is one that will be sure to give you…goosebumps.

8.5/10