As you most likely already know, Halloween-themed movies are tremendously important to me. For most of my life, when I needed a dose of Halloween in the off-season, or even wanted to make an October afternoon feel extra special and anticipatory, I’d turn to movies that would immediately transport me back into the most important day of my year.
I will watch pretty much anything relating to Halloween, whether it’s a horror film, a tv special, something intended for small children, or pretty much anything in between. And over the years, across genres, I’ve accumulated some go-to movies that capture Halloween for me like nothing else, and can make my heart leap with excitement as if it were October 30th, on, say, any random Tuesday in May. These are the movies that inspire me, and keep me going even at the worst points in my calendar year.
A few days ago, I had the absolutely amazing opportunity to view a new film called The Pumpkin Man before its general release. I’ve been following this movie on Instagram for awhile now, and of course, been absolutely smitten with the aesthetic of it and the look of the titular character. I knew the second I hit the “follow” button on the Instagram page that I’d be obsessed with this movie once I saw it, and the chance to view it early was an absolute dream come true!
I’m not going to spoil anything, as I truly want people to watch this movie, but to give a brief synopsis, The Pumpkin Man follows a teenage girl named Catherine, obsessed with the local legend of her hometown, Cromwell, about a witch who invoked a demonic pumpkin man one Halloween night, centuries ago. Despite horrific circumstances, Cromwell truly leans into its lore, essentially turning Halloween into “Pumpkin Man Day”, and Catherine has been on a mission to piece together the clues that would bring the Pumpkin Man back to Cromwell…But is the demon Kurbis more than she, or anyone in the town, ever truly bargained for? Some legends might be better off staying just that.
It’s honestly hard to choose what I enjoyed the most about this movie! The aesthetic of it was absolutely perfect. I’ve always had trouble explaining what it is that some movies are able to do that captures the essence of Halloween so perfectly, I usually just refer to it as a movie having it, and The Pumpkin Man has it in spades. You truly feel like you’re living Halloween and the days leading up to it, and that’s so important to me when it comes to watching a Halloween film! (I’ve seen plenty that look like they were filmed on June 22nd, and it takes you so far out of the moment!) I’m also not sure if I’ve ever actually seen a pumpkin antagonist like Kurbis before.
Also, I’m not sure how the filmmakers pulled this off, but I absolutely love that The Pumpkin Man plays out like a horror film, and has its dark, somewhat gorey moments, it somehow also manages to provide all of the nostalgic feels. Somehow I managed to feel both like I was watching an exciting horror but also something like an episode of Are You Afraid Of The Dark? or Goosebumps at the exact same time. This movie has such a duality to it that I’m not sure I’ve ever quite seen before! It truly felt like watching something made for the kids that grew up watching spooky things; as if these old programs grew up with us. If you’re a 90s spooky kid like me, I can recommend The Pumpkin Man on those feelings alone!
I also have to add that I loved the little Easter eggs in this movie that were little nods to other Halloween-themed movies, such as the town being called “Cromwell” like the family name in Halloweentown, or the teachers’s last name being “Leota”, as in The Haunted Mansion. And I also saw quite a few decorations I recognized, many of which I actually own. I mean, in a movie about an anthropomorphic pumpkin, would you really expect any less?
All in all, I am absolutely honored to have had the opportunity to view such a wonderful Halloween movie early, and I have no doubt in my mind that The Pumpkin Man is going to become a go-to movie for myself and many others within the Halloween community. If you want Halloween vibes, I can assure you you will find them…and probably feel some amazing nostalgia, too!
Stay spooky, my friends.
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