Hulu’s outlandish and super bloody horror comedy Carved may put a temporary hold on those pumpkin pie cravings. Yes, it’s because the kills are graphic in this Halloween-set romp, but it has more to do with the killer, which in this case, is a sentient mega pumpkin. (Just go with it.) When the first real kills begin to happen around the 20-minute mark, the film doesn’t let up. As the groovy bloodbath ensues, heads are severed, scalped, and stabbed by this unlikely killer whose vine-like tentacles reach far and wide. It also allows the big badass pumpkin the ability to walk around. Basically, a pumpkin-led massacre like no other.
Directed by Justin Harding (The Haunted Museum), Carved is based on the short film of the same name, which Harding also wrote and directed for Hulu’s Huluween Film Fest shorts program. He teams up with screenwriter Cheryl Meyer for this feature, which was developed by WorthenBrooks. The stellar ensemble cast — they master the comedy needed here — includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Corey Fogelmanis, Wyatt Lindner, Carla Jimenez, Sasha Mason, Jonah Lees, DJ Qualls, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, Elvis Nolasco, Matty Cardarople, Jackson Kelly, and Chris Elliott.
The premise gives us a heartbroken teenage playwright (Lee), her younger brother (Lindner), and a disparate group of survivors suddenly trapped in a historical reenactment village on Halloween night. They must band together to survive the gruesome assault by a sentient and downright vengeful pumpkin.
A Pissed-Off Pumpkin Is Out for Vengeance
`In 1993, after a nuclear disaster, a historic village’s staff must fend off a vengeful killer pumpkin on Halloween.
- Release Date
- October 21, 2024
- Director
- Justin Harding
- Cast
- Peyton Elizabeth Lee , Corey Fogelmanis , Wyatt Lindner , Carla Jimenez , Sasha Mason , Jonah Lees , DJ Qualls , Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur , Elvis Nolasco , Matthew Cardarople , Jackson Kelly , Chris Elliott
- Writers
- Justin Harding , Cheryl Meyer
- It’s a dumb horror movie done by smart people, with a lot of humor and some good kills.
- The movie is lean and efficient in its thrills, and doesn’t waste much time on sentimentality or B-plots.
- Some of the special effects are unimpressive, and the nighttime cinematography isn’t the best.
- It’s a movie about a killer pumpkin.
Carved immediately recalls those schmaltzy, low-budget horror delights from the 1980s, escapist films like Slumber Party Massacre, Children of the Corn, The Children, Motel Hell, and The Toxic Avenger. The stories were cookie-cutter, and it was all about the kills and the blood. There was some delight in these films, mainly because audiences had not yet become desensitized by gruesome horror.
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There’s a brief prologue in Carved. It tracks a far-too-serious journalist (Elvis Nolasco of American Crime) surveying the carnage in a barn at the holiday-themed reenactment village. His brief filming of the events is disrupted once he starts tripping over dead bodies. Sure, an overused horror trope, but the combination of Nolasco’s intentionally over the top acting and the quirky vibe that the filmmakers establish somehow works.
The film tracks back to “earlier that day,” when several core players are prepping for a Halloween reenactment show that relates to the town’s history. Our reporter is on hand, asking more questions about a highly contentious chemical spill that once rocked the town. Well, that must be the reason the gang is later attacked by that sentient pumpkin. Or maybe not. Either way, it’s weirdly fascinating to watch the ever reliable Jackson Kelly (of Chucky and Lucky Hank) try to outmaneuver that pumpkin the moment he’s about to carve into it.
The Story Avoids an Excess of Sentimentality
There’s an effective and, thankfully not overbearing, B plot about one of the actresses in the reenactment (Lee), who’s shocked to learn that her love (DJ Qualls) is going off to school, in essence, leaving her behind to take care of her younger brother solo. Fortunately, we don’t have to waddle through that angst because, soon enough, everybody must band together and try to outsmart that smart pumpkin.
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Pretty witty dialogue abounds. Noticing the drama onstage before the kills begins, one character muses, “It’s like watching a renaissance Baywatch.” When somebody advises that pumpkins are not a vegetable, but, in fact, a fruit, it makes so much sense. No vegetable that we know of would be capable of such carnage. Well, maybe an angered cornstalk.
Clearly, these actors are having a hell of a time, but they also manage to make their characters believable and the absurd situation they’re in enjoyable to track. It’s a great ensemble all around, and it’s a joy to see veteran actors like Ted Ferguson and Chris Elliott make the rounds here and bring in some laughs.
There’s Room for a Patch of Sequels
As far as the special effects, they’re basic and do the trick. There are occasional POV shots of the pumpkin, which is a nice touch. The filmmaker forgoes incorporating a lot of close-ups on the beast, making our occasional glances at the main body appear more mysterious. The tentacles (and those gurgling sounds) recall any Alien or monster movie, but that, too, manages to be effective. The majority of the film takes place at night, so at times, the film looks too darkly lit for its own good.
Expect more than a handful of big twists. We learn later in the film why this pumpkin beast is out for vengeance. One of the best lines: “Please don’t kill me. I’ll be your bitch.” Well, that doesn’t go over well. It’s hard to believe that a killer sentient pumpkin horror comedy could be so enjoyable, but here we are. Carved is sharp, clever, and bloody good. But pumpkins have plenty of seeds — expect another sprouting. Carved is streaming on Hulu. Watch it through the link below:
Watch Carved