Goosebumps Review: Fans Will Love The 2023 Series

Goosebumps perfectly embodies the world of R.L. Stine in a fun, yet still thrilling, way. The cast dynamic makes this a must watch for spooky season. Note: This review is based solely on the first eight episodes of the ten episode season.

Goosebumps is once again being reimagined, this time into a 2023 Disney and Hulu series. If you have fond memories of reading these books, curled up under your covers, have no fear. They are finally done justice.

Goosebumps follows five teens as their world around them starts to shift. It gets creepy and intense — giving off thriller like vibes — after spending a night partying at a haunted house where rumor has it, a teen was murdered years ago. 

As the series goes on, dark family secrets are revealed, putting them a lot closer to the death than they thought they were.

For those who are fans of the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine, there is a lot of great lore that can be explored. The films didn’t feel like they captured it as well as they could have, but have no fear, this new series has. Heavily featuring plot points readers will recall from Say Cheese and Die!, Night of the Living Dummy, The Haunted Mask, Go Eat Worms!, and The Cuckoo Clock of Doom, Goosebumps has a lot of nods and Easter Eggs that will have fans over the moon.

This series feels more in tune to the source material than any adaptation has before. It is a lot of fun to see play out in live action. While each episode more or less sticks to the events that one of the teens is going through, there is still a cohesive story to be told throughout. One that really comes into play in the later episodes.

As with a lot of younger actors, especially those starring in tween series, they do go over the top every now and then. However, their dynamic and on screen chemistry is what makes this series work as well as it does. Without their relationships being believable, the story flops. 

Justin Long is fantastic in Goosebumps as well. His role is split, which we won’t dive too much into so that we can avoid spoilers, but he needs to essentially play two different characters. He does this seamlessly. He delivers a lot of the more dramatic moments, as well as many of the comedic ones. Mr. Bratt is a dorky teacher who finds himself in a bit of a sticky situation early on in the series. He also goes over the top at times, but it fits and is vital to the role he is playing.

Related: Goosebumps EPs Talk Slappy, R.L. Stine, and Justin Long

Long once again proves just how talented he is and how much range he has as an actor in Goosebumps. Ever since The Barbarian, we have seen him in a different light (in a good way) and in Goosebumps we get a glimpse at that persona again.

He is just creepy enough, but sweet enough, to pull the whole thing off. And without that role being perfectly cast, once again, the whole concept would never work. 

Fans of Goosebumps are going to be a big fan of this series. It takes just enough from the popular books to make it related, but still weaves everything into its own story. Even though you know the books, you won’t exactly know where things are going. 

That said, there is a lot of predictable plot points that you can figure out using simple logic. Every so often there is a surprising twist or turn, which is exciting. The predictability, however, doesn’t make the show any less entertaining. Goosebumps is creepy, but silly and fun at the same time. The effects aren’t always perfect, but there are some really great visuals – especially when it comes to Slappy.

While this review is based on the first eight episodes of a ten episode season, the end of that eight episode feels strangely conclusive. It honestly feels like a fitting end to a season one that expects to get a season two.

This means we honestly have no clue where things will go from here in the final two episodes of Goosebumps season one. Will they work or will they feel out of place and tacked on? It is hard to say at this point, but we are nervous about it.

Goosebumps brings the fan favorite books to life in a way that does them justice, embracing the way they are scary and spooky, but viewers are still able to have fun with them because they are silly too.

GOOSEBUMPS premieres Friday, October 13th on Disney+ and Hulu, with the first five episodes dropping as part of Disney+’s “Hallowstream” and Hulu’s “Huluween” celebrations. New episodes streaming weekly on Fridays.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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About Goosebumps

Inspired by R.L. Stine’s worldwide bestselling book series, “Goosebumps” follows a group of five high schoolers as they embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle – while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents’ past.

Goosebumps season one premieres on Hulu and Disney+ October 13th with the first 5 episodes
episodes to follow weekly, on Fridays, after that.