On a chilled October of 1995, a show graced the airwaves of televisions everywhere, and a transfixed audience of young adolescents were introduced to Slappy—a devious doll with a proclivity for malintent.
Fast forward some twenty-eight years later, and here we are: in the age of streaming giants like Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Gone are the days of waiting eagerly for that specified day of the week where the next installment of our hallowed series was to drop. Now, we are typically offered these shows in whole, or in batches. It’s rare that a show will drip-feed content—not unheard of—but certainly less common today.
“Goosebumps” (2023) has chosen a hybrid approach. It released the first five episodes as of October 13th, and then chooses to switch (like it or hate it) to a weekly episodic release every Friday from October 20th until its macabre culmination on November 17th.
The way of releasing episodes Is not its only deviation from its much loved predecessor. “Goosebumps” now focuses on a contiguous narrative. It is connected by a sinew of shared experiences by a set cast of teens and dubious adults. This is a switch from the original and its weekly vignettes. But does this mean it’s lost the charm of the original?
R.L. Stine for a new generation
I’m of the generation that grew up fully intertwined with R.L. Stine and his whacky works. I owned all of the books, and read them all at least twice. And no matter how much homework I had, I was not missing an episode of “Goosebumps” every Friday after school. From haunted masks to crazy cuckoo clocks and even the girl that cried monster, everything this show produced had me as entranced as the books themselves.
So begs the question, who is this show made for now?
With a PG rating, one could reasonably deduce that it is made for today’s batch of emerging youth—and one would be correct—but is there nostalgia to be had here? Yes!
Though the show has departed from its formula of weekly shows, each highlighting a different creepshow, this series has donned a more Rashomon styled way of driving the narrative—and for the most part, it works.
Fans of the original may find it harder to relate to the current cast of teenage crop. They may find themselves just as horrified at the show’s eeriness as they are when discovering that 1995 is considered “classic,” or “vintage” within the show’s timeline.
Justin Long is superb
The diverse cast of actors are cohesive sharing the screen together, and I found myself intrigued by their stories. The first few episodes give spotlight to each of the young cast while subtly introducing the main plot in behind them—which I found to be a clever homage to the aforementioned short-story style of “Goosebumps” previous iteration.
Justin Long (playing Nathan Bratt) is nothing short of superb. In fact, his performance alone is enough to save some of the episodes from being completely forgettable. Any time he is in frame the show is arguably at its very best. This is not to discredit the other competent cast, but rather a glowing review within a review.
New audiences are likely to be charmed by the show’s campy/creepy contort. However, fans of the original may feel a slight discomfort when sitting down to watch the show play out. But I’d argue that if concessions are made, and understanding that this version of “Goosebumps” was not made for fans of the original, then you can still find some enjoyment in it.
Does it possess the same charm? No. Is it reminiscent of the original? Not really, no. Is it a good starting point for creating a new generation of R.L. Stine fans? I’d say so, yes.
A heavy dose of goosebumps…
The show is not without falt; like pacing issues and sometimes relying too heavily on modern social narratives to propell moments in-between story, but ultimately the show does a great job at handing out a healthy dose of… goosebumps!
Overall, given that the show has only released five episodes, I’d say that my review, although incomplete, is not likely to change too drastically… but you never know.
As of now—a solid B all around.
“Goosebumps” is available to watch on Hulu and Disney +.
