Goosebumps

As someone who grew up reading the books and giving every atrocious cinematic attempt the benefit of the doubt, I am pretty pleased with this one.

I winced when I hit play, and settled back, prepared to be disappointed.

I finished every episode in two days, and am excited for the next.

It is very much a show aimed at teenagers, so it has the high school shenanigans and drama. The acting skill varies, as does the script writing. Justin Long is Justin Long (which I love. YMMV).

Every attempt at trying to exactly duplicate the stories and spirit of the books has failed miserably, so this show went in a different direction. They used a Goosebumps villain and created a framework from it, then wove different Goosebumps stories into an episodic/serialized show.

If you're looking for Masterpiece Theater, this ain't it. If you're looking for something fun inspired by delightful Goosebumps books, enjoy!

Disney+ and Hulu's Goosebumps takes R. L. Stine's beloved book series and gives it a modern, serialized twist. Unlike its 1990s anthology predecessor, this version weaves together multiple horror elements into a continuous story, blending teen drama, supernatural chills, and nostalgia for longtime fans.

Positives

✔ Engaging Storytelling: Unlike the original anthology format, this adaptation creates an interconnected mystery that keeps viewers invested across episodes.

✔ Creepy Yet Fun Atmosphere: The show captures the eerie yet playful tone of Goosebumps, making it perfect for both older fans and new audiences.

✔ Strong Cast: The young ensemble delivers solid performances, and the presence of Justin Long adds extra star power.

✔ Nostalgic References: Fans of the original books will appreciate the nods to classic Goosebumps stories and characters.

✔ Great Visual Effects: Compared to the original 1990s series, the production values here are much higher, with well-executed practical and CGI effects.

Negatives

• Less Anthology, More Drama: Some fans might miss the episodic, standalone nature of the original series, as this version leans more into a continuous teen drama format.

• Pacing Issues: While the long-form storytelling works well, some episodes feel stretched out, making the buildup slower than necessary.

• Not as Scary as Expected: While the show has creepy moments, it leans more toward suspense and mystery rather than full horror, which may not satisfy fans looking for true frights.

Conclusion

Goosebumps successfully modernizes R. L. Stine's spooky world while keeping it accessible for both young and older audiences. While it sacrifices some of the classic anthology style in favor of a serialized mystery, the engaging cast, fun scares, and nostalgic callbacks make it a worthy watch for fans of supernatural thrillers.

Before you read this review I'm only two episodes into this series. However, right away a decision they made has kind of ruined the entire thing for me. It is not single one off stories, they are combining a bunch of books into a continuous arc about characters spanning one season.

A season long arc doesn't really work for Goosebumps. They might want it to because it makes it easier to create sequel episodes if they can keep bringing the same characters back, but it doesn't work with this. Each book was an entirely different vibe, some had more elements of comedy, some had elements of family, all had a horror twist thrown into the mix.

Making this a season long arc doesn't seem like it will work to me. This is just a forewarning to anyone looking to check out this series. I have no idea if they're able to pull it off well, but it seems destined to be at best mediocre to me.

I am 38 years old, the original Goosebumps books and TV show were in my prime. I enjoyed them and Fear Street as I got older. I didn't mind the movies that came out a few years ago but nothing has been "Goosebumps" to me. This attempt is the same. Is it a halfway decent show that I can watch with my son to pass some time over the weekend. They definitely called it "Goosebumps" to get more viewers but it is not really Goosebumps. They took some inspiration from some of the books and wrapped it into 1 series. I do have to say that as a gay man, I am finding the "check boxes" to get a little old. It is nice to see characters who resemble everyone, the gay kid with a straight best friend combo was cool BUT the stereotypes are getting a bit old. Not every gay kid is androgenous or flamboyant. It would be nice to see these characters but with a little less of the stereotypes. Aside from that, I've definitely seen worse things on TV.

...but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. The first two episodes are not the best I didn't really know why. The acting is overdone sometimes and the jokes don't land but somewhere in the 3rd or 4th episode this switches. The humor is actually landing and we get modern humor with some pop culture references but also some throwbacks to the x-files and of course MANY of the old goosebumps episodes/books.

Each episode has it's own "monster" but they are all connected through the friendgroup. At first I thought I would prefer stand alone episodes and different actors but I actually prefer it this way.

The CGI looks great even though the scenes sometimes give CW energy. Overall the Storytelling overways everything and it feels so good to be back in the goosebumps world.

The soundtrack is AMAZING too, straight up bangers in every outro.

If you are a Boomer at heart even though you grew up with goosebumps: you probably already wrote a review about how much this is a woke cashgrab that's unoriginal, but somehow your comment is. This is not for you.

This is for the people that learned the core values of shows like goosebumps and can still have fun and actually like diversity and that everyone gets a seat at the table. Don't take this show too serious because it really doesn't take itself that serious either and then you will have a great time!

Update after completing the show: No spoilers; It's still good, I still miss the old intro, it diverts expectation which I like but the PACING.. the show really needs to work on that. Some episode are just filler (episode 5? And 9).. absolutely boring. 90% talking 10% plot. We need a better balance between slow moody teen drama and action fantasy novel. Because right now the balance is off. Otherwise pretty good like I said. I'm going to lower my score from an 8 to a 7. It didn't wow me in the end but it was nice. Soundtrack is also really good.