'Goosebumps' Scares a New Generation of Viewers While Offering Plenty of Nostalgia for R.L. Stine Fans (Review)

"Viewer beware, you're in for a scare!" It's the opening tagline that had '90s kids gathering around TV screens during the latter half of the decade, and now, a whole new generation of kids is being introduced to R.L. Stine's best-selling work of young adult horror fiction in Disney+'s new Goosebumps series, but one thing is certain – this isn't your '90s Goosebumps.

Any '90s kid probably knows of Goosebumps. The books and television series, later rebooted in 2015 with the Jack Black film, were the perfect introduction to the horror genre for younger fans, and while those takes maintained a more light-hearted tone, the new adaptation doesn't stop short of trying to raise actual goosebumps. 

Aptly arriving on Disney+ and Hulu on Friday, Oct. 13, the new Goosebumps series brings Stine's universe into the modern day, complete with laptops, cellphones, and teen slang. Drawing inspiration from the whole of Stine's Goosebumps books – the first five episodes, made available for review, are based on Say Cheese and Die!, The Haunted Mask, The Cuckoo Clock of Doom, Go Eat Worms!, and Night of the Living Dummy – the new series forgoes the anthology format, instead choosing to weave Stine's series together into a larger story that follows five high schoolers as they embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the death of Harold Biddle, a teen who died 30 years ago.

With a list of credits in the horror genre that includes everything from Jeepers Creepers to Tusk to Barbarian and more, it comes as little surprise that Justin Long leads the cast with a chilling performance. In a scene almost ripped out of one of Stine's books, Long's Mr. Nathan Bratt takes up a job as Port Lawrence High School's new English teacher, and after moving into the old Biddle house, soon finds himself pulled into the teen's death and the spooky happenings occurring in the small town. 

At the same time, eerie things begin to occur around the younger cast – Ana Yi Puig's Isabella, Miles McKenna's James, Will Price's Lucas, Zack Morris's Isaiah, and Isa Briones Margot – who have no trouble matching Long's performance and whose relationships and personal struggles – universal adolescent fears, including fitting in at school, teen love, family troubles, and the prospect of college – allow for a more compelling and emotional story that the show's predecessors have lacked.

Where Disney+'s Goosebumps really succeeds, though, is how it brings Stine's terrifying stories to life. As someone who had a Goosebumps book in their hand throughout their childhood, I was pleasantly surprised by the creatures introduced in the series and the way they were used. Whereas the 2015 Jack Black-starring film threw a smorgasbord of Stine's creepy creations onto the screen practically at once and Stine's own novels were essentially a one-and-done deal, Disney+'s adaptation – written by Nick Stoller and Rob Letterman, who also executive produce – takes its time with the horror figures that have haunted children for decades now, introducing them slowly and weaving them into the overarching story, something that gives way to some truly unsettling characters and moments.

From The Haunted Mask, which has undergone a bit of an update that brings the iconic green goblin-like mask to the 21st century, to a twist on The Cuckoo Clock of Doom that in some ways proves to be more terrifying than the original story, and the monstrous worms from Go Eat Worms that are sure to have your skin crawling, the new Goosebumps' horrors are sure to elicit some spooks, even among long-time Goosebumps fans. But the horrors of the show are, in true Goosebumps fashion, perfectly balanced with some much-needed comedic relief, including mentions of watermelon Jolly Ranchers-smelling monster goo and quips that the characters are the Haunted Wives of Port Lawrence.

More than just launching Goosebumps into the '20s, the series makes it clear early on that it is perhaps intended for a more mature audience than previous adaptations. The first episode alone sees one character reference a "porno" and depicts teenage drinking, content that typically isn't depicted in Disney+'s family-friendly catalogue. But while the content in the show may be a bit more mature in some regards, and while the horrors in Goosebumps are more horrific than what you'd see in other Disney titles such as Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown, the series still proves to be a perfect introduction to the horror genre for younger viewers, offering a perfect balance of comedic relief and spooky scares.

More than three decades after Stine first haunted children with the release of the first Goosebumps book, Disney+'s Goosebumps doesn't forget that Stine's books were supposed to frighten kids, and the new adaptation may even leave some adults uneasy. Respecting both its source material and its audience, both old and new, Goosebumps is certain to be perfect Halloween season fun for the entire family. Goosebumps' first five episodes premiere Friday, Oct. 13 on Disney+ and Hulu as part of Disney+'s "Hallowstream" and Hulu's "Huluween" celebrations. The series' first two episodes will also air on Freeform on Oct. 13 as part of its "31 Nights of Halloween" programming. New episodes will drop weekly.