R.L. STINE'S PUMPKINHEAD (2025)

 A VERY GOOSEBUMPSY FOLK HORROR (NATCH). 

There was, of course, an episode of R.L. Stine's THE HAUNTING HOUR called "PUMPKINHEAD" but I don't think I ever saw it.  Is this possibly a remake?  Someone surely will know that down in the comment section.  I'll have to dig our my THE HAUNTING HOUR dvds one of these daze.  Regardless, this here Tubi movie (good on ya, Tubi!!!) finds Sam and his older brother Finn moving to a farming community from the big city with their Mom.  They get there smack in the middle of the town's harvest festival and things are a little "Children of the Corn-y"; we've got a trio of people on their knees in the field praying and genuflecting in thanksgiving (whoops. wrong holiday -- there is no Countdown to Thanksgiving . . . yet).  This is because, apparently, the town of Redhaven ("where the harvest never ends") was dying until an old guy somehow made the crops grow again. 

However, no matter how much the town is 'grateful' to him, kids are told never EVER to go out to the old man's farm.  Of course, that's the first thing that Sam does.  Sam sneaks into the barn and sees a mound of earth (and probably lots of manure) with a strange, nobbily pumpkin perched on top.  Sam, of course, steals the thing (being the whiny, emo 13 year old he is) and takes it home with him (saying it was given to him).  That night, the sheriff drops by (he lives next door) and asks if Sam stole the pumpkin.  The sheriff says it would be best if Sam himself returned it.  Finn goes up to Sam's room and tells him he's got to take it back.  Sam (the snotty, emo 13 year old that he is) refuses so Finn grabs the pumpkins (which is now getting kinda goopy and gross) and takes it back to the farm.  And Finn never comes home.

Despite having read and enjoyed my fair share of R.L. Stine, this movie was way more than I expected.  It's written and directed (by Jem Garrard) beautifully without a wrong note in the whole script.  It's shot beautifully by Robert Zawistowski focusing heavily on the autumnal farmland giving serious HARVEST HOME vibes.  The acting is flawless with Bean Reid doing a great job as Sam; his performance starts off as an unlikeable brat but they, after Finn's disappearance, changes into a likeable, caring boy who has obviously been hurt by the absense of his father -- whether Dad died or just left isn't ever made crystal clear and it doesn't matter; the absense hurts either way. 

Also Adeline Lo as the sheriff's daughter and Sam's new best friend Becka is also superb and steals every scene she's in.  They make a great dynamic duo investigating what happened to Finn and what's going on at that farm.  Now, I haven't described much of the movie because you really must watch it and I don't wanna spoil any of it except to say that, after Finn's disappearance, Finn & Sam's Mom doesn't remember Finn existed at ALL!  Nor anyone else in town can remember Finn.  Only the kids remember Finn existed.  Whoa!  A lot more is going on here.  Another great performance is Matty Finochio as Rusty; an eccentric 'nutjob' who lives in an RV just outside of town who supplies Sam & Becka with the backstory of what happened in the town.  Finochio gives a performance which is 'slightly teched' but never over the top and that's actually quite difficult to do.  He's twitchy and a little unhinged but not a caricature. 

I haven't even mentioned the genuinely creepy scarecrow/pumpkinhead creature that's featured prominently on the poster.  Sometimes a guy in a costume and sometimes CGI'd, this creature is pretty frightening!  Oh, and then there's the ending of the film.  Wow, didn't see THAT coming at all!  Really, if you have access to Tubi, you really need to catch this movie.  Perfect Halloween viewing.