Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Thursday, Feb. 20
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

COLUMN: Disney's ‘Goosebumps: The Vanishing’ is a spooky treat for a new generation

entgoosebumps012825.jpeg

A bump in the night. Dark, mysterious shadows in your closet. The sound of claws tapping on the windowpane. Scary stories have been around for generations, each one a different tale of what creatures lurk in the night. And the latest addition to the world of scary stories is “Goosebumps: The Vanishing,” a show inspired by the books of horror author R.L. Stine.

Though Stine has written many other novels in the horror genre, his most popular books are a part of the “Goosebumps” universe. A fictional universe comprised of 10 different series, the original “Goosebumps” series plus the spinoffs — over 100 books in total. There are also five video games associated with the series as well as two separate shows and two movies. The most recent edition to the “Goosebumps” world comes in the form of the new show “Goosebumps: The Vanishing,” available on Hulu and Disney+.

“Goosebumps: The Vanishing,” which premiered on both platforms Jan. 10, is part of the anthology series “Goosebumps” created by Nicholas Stoller and Rob Letterman and inspired by Stine's books. Though “Goosebumps: The Vanishing” is technically season two in the show, the plot and the characters have nothing to do with the first season.

While David Schwimmer, who plays Anthony Brewer, is often advertised as the star in this show, the more central characters are really Anthony’s children, Devin (Sam McCarthy) and Cece (Jayden Bartels) who are visiting him for the summer, along with their friends. Taking place in Gravesend, Brooklyn, the entire season is centered around how the group of teens solves the mystery of how Cece and Devin’s uncle disappeared years before.

There were dozens of things to love about this show but one of my favorites was the sibling dynamic between Devin and Cece. While you obviously want the actually scary part of a horror series to be the most intriguing part, I’ve seen enough horror movies and shows to know that’s not always the case. But if you still have characters you can root for, I tend to hope that it’s all going to work out fine — and that’s certainly the case here. Bartels and McCarthy play twins in this show and do a great job portraying the “I love you, but you annoy me” relationship that most people with a sibling have probably experienced.

Cece in particular gets an interesting character arc throughout the show. She’s a straight-A student going to an elite private school in New York whose brother just got suspended for fighting. She feels the same pressure that most students in her position might have to go to a fancy Ivy League school. And while battling monsters might not be part of the average teen experience, the journey she goes through to work through her own anxiety and fears regarding the future is.

Unfortunately, Cece’s fear of the future is nothing compared to the fear caused by the monsters these kids have to face. The overarching story follows the Brewer family as they try to uncover what happened to Matty (Christopher Paul Richards), Anthony’s older brother, and his friends, who all disappeared one night during their senior year. But each episode is inspired by different “Goosebumps” books, such as “Monster Blood” and “The Haunted Car.”

Now I know a show that’s largely based on a children's series might not sound incredibly scary but as shocking as it may seem, this show actually had some good jump scares. The CGI was good and the plot was just suspenseful enough that there were a couple parts that had me a little freaked out while still remaining a fun and not overly gory series. So, I think it’s something that people can enjoy even if they get scared easily.

At its core “Goosebumps: The Vanishing” is a sweet story about family. You watch Cece and Devin bond with their dad, who, from first impressions of the family, they are not very close to. You see Anthony, who has been dealing with the devastation of losing his older brother since he was a kid, finally begin to move on. For an eight-episode storyline you still feel like you really get to know these characters. And given that this show is an anthology series and any potential season three will feature a new cast and story, I didn’t feel like anything was left too unanswered by the last episode.

So, whether you are a fan of Stine’s books or just looking for something new to watch and don’t mind a couple jump scares, I’d say this show is definitely worth it.

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe