When I first saw the announcement of Spirit Halloween: The Movie, I wasn’t sure what to think. Would it be more of a cheesy commercial? Or would it be one of those bottom-tier horror films? Needless to say, the bar was set low. Regardless, I thought it would be fun. Especially because my daughter and I frequent Spirit Halloween sometimes not even to buy anything just to check out some of the cool animatronics and props.
So how does Spirit Halloween: The Movie play out? First, in case you missed it, let’s check out the trailer.
The film is set up with a curse. A rich man played by Christopher Lloyd shows up at an orphanage to let them know they had 48 hours to vacate the property. The caretaker of the estate, responds by putting a curse on him. One that carries on until modern time, where the film takes us next.
We meet the three middle school friends: Jake, Bo, and Carson. They are played by Donovan Colan, Jaiden J. Smith, and Dylan Martin Frankel. Like any group of middle school kids, they are going through identity changes between beings kids and teenagers. The perception of what is cool and what is not, specifically the tradition of trick-or-treating.
A tradition that Jake is not ready to let go of despite Carson’s newfound level of cool. For Jake, this is a sensitive holiday as it was a special time for him and his father, who unfortunately has passed away. His mom has remarried and he’s also having to adjust to a new stepfather and a younger stepsister. Bo is caught in the middle of the two friends.
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By chance, a Spirit Halloween store pops up in a secluded part of town. The trio of friends decided that it would be cool to spend the night in the store. We see the group living many kids’ dreams of just letting loose at a Spirit Halloween store. It does a great job at showcasing a lot of the products of the store (I wonder why?). But then, a spirit escapes out of a fortune teller and inhabits one of the monster animatronics. The chase is now on and the friends have to avoid the spirit.
During that time, Carson’s older sister, Kate, played by Marissa Reyes, takes it upon herself to try and figure out what her brother and friends are up to. She ends up finding a way in through the roof and ends up trapped with the three already inside. With no other choice than to help them defeat the spirit.
The rest of the story you can get by watching the film. For me, it felt like a mix between a Goosebumps Halloween special with product placement. I was very curious to see how much horror they would include in the film, which would dictate who the film would be catered to. The answer is that it has clearly been made for kids as well as adults. Specifically, those who love to visit the Halloween store. In fact, visiting the store after watching this film would be a lot of fun as you’ll see the same animatronics.
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Overall I think if their goal was to excite people about going to Spirit Halloween, then they have succeeded. It has a simple story with decent acting for the quality of the film that you can show your kids. Also, I must commend them for not making cheesy references to store products. This is a fun film that may be worth your time.
OVERALL GRADE: B
Strike Back Studios’ Spirit Halloween: The Movie will have a limited theatrical release and available on VOD September 30.
