Goosebumps

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.

Something people are gonna have to realize is that there are so many books to the goosebumps series and would probably take more than several life times to make into a cartoon or live action. People love Goosebumps and want more, but the thing is not everything can be made perfect especially with time and money. I couldn't care less what anybody thinks this show was great each episode and probably my favorite adaptation of Goosebumps. If you're gonna cry about how it won't follow the story just stick to the short and more accurate 1990's TV show. The people who made this show did their best to bring as many books as they could into this show with a great plot, so stop saying it was bad.

MY REVIEW: Best adaptation so far, amazing acting, rushed endings for most of the episodes, great on transitioning to each character after each episode, foreshadowing was great, and was kinda upset how there wasn't too much bloody stuff but ehh still alright. I haven't watched a better Halloween movie or show since Hubie Halloween.

Everything has to be redone, reimagined and recycled these days. Unfortunately goosebumps is not off-limits even though we just had two movies within the last 10 years as well as Fear Street spin offs on Netflix. No, but here we get a series that tries some new things, but just can't escape the absolutely unnecessary and forced tropes amongst the casting, the plotting, and the overall product. Justin Long being the bright spot, of course and some of the Visual horror aspects. Otherwise, I can already tell it might be difficult to make it through more than a few episodes. I'll stick with the classic books and the classic TV series.

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.

Fans of the original book series should know this show is nothing like that- it's darker and the protagonists are teenagers instead of younger kids. Zero nostalgia factor, so if that's what you were hoping for, look elsewhere.

That said, the episodes in the middle of the first season were fairly okay and overall the series had potential.

The writing is why this isn't getting a higher rating from me. The motivations behind the characters' actions- particularly those of the villains- are nonsensical to the point of frustration. The last two episodes of the first season were disappointing and fell flat in their attempt to create lore and explain the origin of the evil that had been haunting the characters.

I don't have an issue with the showmakers changing the tone of the OG series to appeal to an older, Gen Z audience but there are too many plotholes- too much about the choices characters make and about the world that just doesn't make sense within the context of the series, and that's never really explained to the point of satisfaction.