Summary
Every October,Hulu and Disney+ present Huluween, a collection of movies and TV shows perfect forhorrorfans. There are plenty of options, fromRyan Murphy’s latest eerie seriesGrotesquerietoseason 4 of the popular anthologyAmerican Horror Stories. I enjoy rewatching classic horror movies likeHalloween(of course) and the entireScreamfranchise as much as the next horror fan. But I also like seeing what new releases are on streaming, including a movie that was recently added to Hulu/Disney+ as part of this month-long scary project.
After checking out the latest five episodes ofAmerican Horror Stories, I also watched a new horror movie that is set at Halloween, has some great characters, and a truly unique villain. There are several reasons why I’d argue that this film needs to be watched by all horror buffs.
Why I Think Carved Is A Fun, Unique, And Entertaining Horror Movie About Halloween
I think thatCarved, which is about a killer pumpkin terrorizing kids who work at a pioneer village in the 1990s, is a perfect cheesy and fun Halloween-themed movie for a few reasons. First of all,the killer is unique. Althoughthere are many memorable killers in slasher films, it’s rare to see a pumpkin who is genuinely horrifying. Yes, Pumpkinhead is a famous horror villain, butthe killer inCarvedis an actual gourd with gross vines coming out of its eyes and mouth that it uses to kill its victims. With so many scary movies to pick from each October, I find it refreshing to see something different. The movie doesn’t have any grand themes and is fairly corny, but that’s what makes it a nice, easy watch.
Carved Wouldn’t Have Worked As Well Without Its Setting
The setting ofCarvedalso makes it special.I don’t think the movie would have worked as well if it took place somewhere where the main characters could easily escape. Since they hide from the killer pumpkin after putting on a play for customers of the pioneer village, they are in a genuinely tough spot. Of course, it’s nothing new for a horror movie to be seton October 31st, from the classic starring Jamie Lee Curtis toTerrifierandthe equally dark and gory sequelTerrifier 2. ButCarvedhas the unique setting of a pioneer village, which is pleasantly old-fashioned and also keeps the main characters isolated from the outside world.
Co-Written by
Justin Harding and Cheryl Meyer
Based on
short film calledCarvedby Justin Harding
Starring
Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Corey Fogelmanis, DJ Qualls, Wyatt Lindner, Jonah Lees, Elvis Nolasco, Carla Jimenez
October 21st, 2024
1 hour 35 minutes
Carved Hosts an Interesting Cast of Characters
I also like the characters inCarved, particularlyKira (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), an aspiring playwright who plans to leave her small town behind with her aspiring actor boyfriend Cody (Corey Fogelmanis).There is some tension between them before the killing begins as he spills that he got cast in a project and is leaving in three weeks. This conflict and character development makes the scary scenes even more exciting to watch. Kira is a smartfinal girl in the tradition of Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp)fromA Nightmare On Elm Streetand Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) from theScreamfranchise.
Overall, I likeCarvedbecause it’s set in the ’90s, which was a fun time for the horror genre. Justin Harding, the co-writer and director ofCarved, spoke toABC 7 Newsabout having practical effects in the movie likeAliens, Gremlins, andTremors. Harding said:
“The idea was to make a classic 90s-style monster movie using classic 90s-style film techniques. Puppets, reverse-photography, sort of old-school techniques.”
What Other Horror Movies And TV Shows Are Streaming As Part Of Huluween?
There are a few other horror movies and TV shows that fans can check out on Huluween. One of them isMr. Crocket,which became available on Hulu/Disney+ on October 11th, 2024.LikeCarved,Mr. Crocketis also set in 1993 and is about the title character who is an evil children’s TV show host. He leaves the TV and abducts kids.
American Horror Storiesseason 4is also part of Huluween. There are five episodes called “Backrooms,” “The Thing Under The Bed,” “Leprechaun,” “Clone,” and “X.” These episodes are all about nightmares and reality and feel totally original.
While not a horror series per se,Family Guyfans can also watchtheFamily Guy Halloween Special, which became available on Hulu/Disney+ on October 14th, 2024.It has all the dark and bitter humor ofthe bestFamily Guyepisodes.
