If you were a child of the 90s, the chances are that either you or a friend was well entrenched into the dark, mystical, horrific, exciting world of R.L. Stine. His Goosebumps series of books were something of a breath of fresh air to me when I was growing up. In a literary landscape of young adult books filled with the likes of Beatrix Potter and Enid Blyton, Stine introduced us to a world that was usually reserved for older readers. I was still too young for Stephen King or Dean Koontz, and Goosebumps was my first foray into horror.
These novels became so popular that they spawned an almost-as-successful TV anthology series back in 1995 (which probably still haunts those who watched it to this very day). Over time, Goosebumps would fade from popularity, at least until Sony Pictures revived the franchise with two, fairly lackluster films, that while fun for kids, failed to capture the fear spookiness that the novels were so famous for. As a fan, I thought that was it. Maybe Goosebumps was yet another thing destined to be relegated to the nostalgia of my childhood. But then along comes Hulu with this brand new adaptation and a reminder of just what it was that made our spines tingle and our minds wander.
It’s Spooky Season
Here’s the deal. Directors Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller have delivered a series that I think a lot of die hard fans have been waiting for. (I know I’m not just speaking for myself when I say that some of those episodes from the original 1995 series still haunt us to this day. Tell me you don’t think about The Haunted Mask from time to time.) Instead of playing it safe – like the movies did in order to bring in a new audience – Letterman and Stoller have taken the series back to its darker roots. This new adaptation feels like an update on the classic. The tone and style is similar, and like all great YA fiction before it, this one doesn’t dumb itself down or be risk averse in any way.
Unlike it’s predecessor, however, this adaptation isn’t just an anthology that directly adapts Stine’s stories. Set in the present day, there is an overarching narrative that follows five school kids as they set out to investigate the mystery behind an old house which has been causing some supernatural concern around their town. Now as you’ve probably figured out, each of these happenings has to do with a specific story within the Goosebumps series. Beginning with “Say Cheese and Die” (one of my favourites), to the aforementioned “The Haunted Mask,” each episode integrates a particular Stine story into the ongoing narrative. (Mike Flanagan’s The House of the Fall of Usher took a similar approach.) Which served as a great way to keep the audiences engaged while introducing them to these classics.
A Marvelously Modern Retelling
What Letterman and Stoller do absolutely right with this adaptation is to respect the source material while adapting it for a modern era. Naturally, some of Stine’s original Goosebump stories were a product of their time, and bringing them into 2023 does have its challenges. But the two of them manage to traverse such complications with great ease.
In Episode 4, for example, we are introduced to one of Stine’s more, uninspiring novels, “Go Eat Worms.” It is a story about a boy obsessed with worms, who then eventually gets haunted and terrorized by them. It’s a pretty basic tale, and we won’t spoil anything here, but Letterman and Stoller adapt it in a way that makes it genuinely thrilling and suspenseful. God knows, it made me a little more scared of worms than I ever thought I would be.
Whether you were an avid reader of the novels or not, there is something in this new Goosebumps adaptation for everyone. It is also a wonderful way to reintroduce these classics to a new generation. And I for one hope it will reinvigorate that whole genre of spooky YA TV shows. It’s the one thing that we just don’t get enough of.
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