RL Stine's Pumpkinhead Review: Horror From Goosebumps Writer

RL Stine's "Pumpkinhead" is a horror film adapted from a 1999 short story by the "Goosebumps" author, blending elements of folk horror with influences from "The Wicker Man," Stephen King, and Tim Burton. The movie centers on a New York family who relocate to the farming community of Redhaven. Upon arrival at the local harvest festival, they encounter Farmer Palmer, portrayed by Kevin McNulty, who is credited with revitalizing the town's barren fields with miraculous bounty. The narrative takes a turn when the younger son, Sam, played by Bean Reid, attempts to steal Palmer's prize pumpkin. Although his older brother, Finn, portrayed by Seth Isaac Johnson, returns the pumpkin, he is magically ensnared within it. Following this event, the adults in Redhaven appear to forget Finn's existence, leaving Sam with a deadline of midnight on Halloween to break the curse. The film is described as derivative but tautly plotted, though it is noted for over-relying on Scooby-Doo-style sleuthing. The truly unsettling aspects of the story are said to emerge too late in the film's progression. Sam's mother is played by Kendra Anderson. The film's setting in Redhaven, a suspiciously fecund farming outpost, contributes to its midwestern folk horror atmosphere. The plot involves Sam's frustration with his new rural surroundings and his subsequent decision to steal the pumpkin, which triggers the central magical conflict. The film's pacing and the late arrival of its most disturbing elements are key points of critique in the review. The review suggests that despite the horror-lite nature of the enterprise, the film struggles to establish sufficient original territory before its climax. The character of Sam is depicted as a "snotty skate rat" whose move to Redhaven with his mother Cassie and brother Finn sets the story in motion. The film's reliance on a familiar mystery-solving trope, reminiscent of "Scooby-Doo," is highlighted as a narrative weakness. The review implies that the film's core concept, while rooted in Stine's established style, does not fully distinguish itself from its thematic predecessors. The magical entrapment of Finn within the pumpkin serves as the primary catalyst for the film's escalating tension and Sam's race against time. The collective amnesia of the adult characters regarding Finn's existence underscores the supernatural and isolating nature of the curse. The review concludes that "Pumpkinhead" offers a competently constructed plot but ultimately falls short of delivering a consistently impactful horror experience due to its pacing and the delayed introduction of its more unsettling themes.