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For nearly three decades, author R. L. Stine’s horror novels for kids have been keeping young readers awake at night. Now, the author and all of his scariest monsters find their way to the big screen in the creepy but campy adaptation of his beloved Goosebumps series.
Goosebumps takes audiences on a journey through the best-selling author’s world. When Zach (Dylan Minnette) leaves New York and moves to the small town of Madison, Delaware, with his mom (Amy Ryan), he expects his new life to be quiet and dull. But then he meets his cute neighbor, Hannah (Odeya Rush), and her agitated father (Jack Black).
It’s clear that something strange is happening at the house next door, and Zach fears for Hannah’s safety. But when he breaks into the house to explore, he unwittingly unleashes all of the monsters from the secretive writer’s books.
Goosebumps then gathers all of Stine’s popular books together for an imaginative—if somewhat chaotic— adventure. After sinister dummy Slappy sets all of the creatures free, zombies roam the streets, giant insects eat cars, and aliens freeze the bumbling small-town cops. It’s an absolute menagerie of monsters.
Fortunately, it never makes the mistake of taking itself too seriously. The film’s cast and crew clearly had a whole lot of fun battling one outlandish creature after another—and the adventure was written to amuse viewers just as much as it will scare them. It’s definitely scary, but it’s also intentionally cheesy.
At the same time, though, it might not take itself seriously enough. Black begins the film as comically creepy, only to resort to wild overacting as the film progresses. And while he definitely has his entertaining moments, he makes the character feel more like an exaggerated caricature than a genuinely eccentric writer.
Of course, fans of the Goosebumps series will love the movie version’s non-stop references to Stine’s thrillers—from classics like 1993’s Night of the Living Dummy and 1995’s The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena to newer releases like 2010’s Little Shop of Hamsters. If you’ve read the books, you’ll enjoy spotting the monsters from your favorite stories—and you might even find yourself dusting them off and rereading them. If you’re new to the series, however, the rabid poodles and sinister lawn gnomes might make you curious enough to pick up a copy or two from the library.
While loyal Goosebumps readers will appreciate the frequent references to their favorite books, though, this movie is definitely aimed at young audiences. It’s silly and over-the-top, with monsters that will haunt kids’ dreams without making them too afraid to turn out the lights.
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