Out now on Hulu
When a pumpkin comes for revenge, the folks in small town Halloween celebration become its main targets.
Written by Justin Harding and Cheryl Meyer with the former also directing, this horror comedy is full of mayhem and nonsense which makes it a perfect watch for a horror-lite comedy for the whole family (depending on the kids’ ages and horror tolerance). The writing here is witty and fun, the direction is on point, so the film is enjoyable with a few interesting story turns. Of course, it’s not entirely unexpected throughout, but it works so why fix what isn’t broken. The story is fun, the film is entertaining. It has that Halloween energy that many look for in seasonal films and it’s got good goo. Basically, this is a good fil to have on at a party or while opening the door to trick-or-treaters.
The acting here works quite well and depending on viewer’s age, the preferred performance will change. Most grown adults will likely love seeing DJ Qualls in the role of Bill, a role he really seems to have taken to and had fun with. His presence is just right. Coming in for younger adults is Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Kira (as well as most of the rest of the cast), giving a fun, emotional performance. As for the younger crowd, Wyatt Lindner as Trevor is good, he’s a bit annoying as an adult watcher, but that’s the point of the character and it helps give him a better character arc. The cast in general here works well and it shows that they are having fun at times, giving the film that extra edge for the viewer to join into the fun and Halloween-lite frights.
The film’s look here is mostly good with a few sequences being a bit too dark to fully see what is going on, but in general it looks good with the right kind of lighting that helps set the party mood and later the monster mayhem mood. The monster mayhem here is provided by solid practical effects with a creature designed by Allan Cooke that really shines in a sorta kaiju pumpkin kind of way. This is how you do fun effects on a lower age rating. The look of the pumpkin, the ooey gooey goodness, the “gore” for lack of a better word, are all great, giving this film that extra little thing to separate it from other family-friendly genre films.
Carved is a boatload of fun, well-shot, well-acted film with a few familiar faces that really entertains and makes its runtime fly by. Here we get a good example of taking a fun concept, running with it, and just allowing the story and cast to have fun, directing them into a coherent ensemble and giving the viewers a few good views of the monster. This is a really fun one that comes highly recommended for pre-Halloween or even Halloween night entertainment.