Every kid needs a gateway drug to hardcore horror. There’s no point starting them off with Martyrs right off the bat…they’ll never get a full night’s sleep again. Instead, may we suggest this gleefully ghoulish quasi-anthology series based on the beloved books by R.L. Stine.
How to watch Goosebumps season 1 in the UK
Goosebumps season one hits Disney+ on October 13 in the UK.
What is Goosebumps season 1 about?
“Ermagerd,” as we used to say—albeit briefly— back in 2012, “Gersberms!” Based on the appropriately deathless series of young adult horror novels by R.L. Stine, Goosebumps follows a group of five high schoolers as they embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle, while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents’ past. Which is a useful framework for telling 10 episodes’ worth of tween-friendly, lightly scary stories about all kinds of spooky nonsense. Stine spread a wide net when it came to weirdness, and the series draws on a whole swathe of his stories for what Jack Black (who starred as Stine in the 2015 movie, you may recall) used to call “inspirado”. We’re given to understand Slappy the Dummy shows up, if that holds any meaning for you.
The cast of Goosebumps season 1
Justin Long, Ana Yi Puig, Miles McKenna, Will Price, Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Rachael Harris, and Rob Huebel are all on deck for whatever creepy shenanigans the series has in store for them.
Goosebumps season 1 trailer
What are the critics saying about Goosebumps season 1
So far the series has been received warmly, with the general consensus being that it’s a fun teen dramedy with horror trappings rather than an out-and-out fright fest, which is pretty much what we want from this sort of thing. Basically, if you’ve got a little goth-in-waiting on your hands that’s a bit too tender in years for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this’ll tide them over nicely (but really, let ’em watch Buffy, ya spoilsport).
