We are approaching the holiday season, so I was not surprised to see Halloween/horror and Christmas-themed movies on the streaming site that I pick movies from. I've not been in the 'mood' to watch any horror for inexplicable reasons but this particular movie got my interest when I saw Marlon Wayans and Kelly Rowland on the poster.
I remember Marlon Wayans from Scary Movie 1 & 2, A Haunted House 1 & 2 and Naked. This actor is more or less a comedian and I enjoyed the listed movies. Also, with the lovely sight of Kelly Rowland, I decided to give the adventure/horror/comedy flick an opportunity.
The Curse Of Bridge Hollow (2022) is a Halloween movie about a 14-year-old girl who was unhappy about her family's move from Brooklyn to a historic town called Bridge Hollow, the safest small town in the US. Not only did they move into town during the Halloween season, but they also moved into a historic house owned by a popular gypsy witch, Victoria Hawthorne.
*[Source: YouTube](https://youtu.be/Y-eYqE_X9N8)*While going through the house and to prove the existence of supernatural events to her new friends, Sydney used an Ouija board app to unleash an ancient spirit called Stingy Jack that was locked up by the dead gypsy witch in the attic.
As the spirit escapes its pumpkin lantern, it spreads a red glow around the town at night awakening the zombies and witches and spiders and clowns that were placed as decorations. How can this young girl convince her science, logical reasoning and skeptical father that the horrific events are real?
Review
Despite the mixed reviews I have seen around, I believe this movie was shot as a soft and light horror. It wasn't aimed to be spooky or scary but like the taste of a soft spongy cupcake.
It's a family-friendly and adventurous film. The storyline is one of mystery (finding and stopping Stingy Jack from unleashing horror in a small town) that is easy to watch. The scenes are well coordinated, the visuals are more than okay and the sceneries of the small town are picturesque.
The cast chemistry is great. I love the relationship between the father (Marlon Wayans) and daughter (Priah Ferguson) while the mother (Kelly Rowland) mediates whenever there's a decision to be made. Although the father is overbearing it's something almost every viewer can relate to.
Spooky Enough?
Though the director tried to create spooky atmospheres in this film, I felt some of the visuals and horror scores were a little overboard. The running and screaming were a bit exaggerated and almost became silly at some point. For example, the scene where a zombie bit a neighbour (played by Roy Riggle) looked unreal because there was no blood and afterwards, the neighbour appeared okay. He did not turn into a zombie.
This should be a reason for a negative rating but as I said, it's light horror children and adults alike can watch, laugh and still sleep well at night. Yes, it's the month of Halloween but it's alright to settle for something different and not take the season too seriously. That's what the creator of The Curse Of Bridge Hollow did. The filmmakers' intention is seen in a 14-year-old girl being the focus. If the aim was to be spooky, then there will be no room for comedy in it.
Overall, it's a nice family movie and I recommend it to everyone who's in the mood for something light, funny and adventurous. I give this film 3.9 stars out of 5.
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Images are screenshots from the movie
