Carved, a Hulu original film, is a campy ode to horror B-movies of the ’80s and ’90s. The film is part of Hulu’s annual celebration of Huluween and is one of the craziest creature features of the year. Set on Halloween night in 1993 in the small New England town of Cedar Creek, the movie takes place one year after a deadly tragedy caused by a trail derailment and chemical spill.
The story revolves around a mutated pumpkin that comes to life and begins a violent killing spree, targeting those who brutally harmed its fellow pumpkin brethren during the annual pumpkin carving contest. The pumpkin’s motivations are simple: kill everyone who harmed its kin. The film’s narrative is straightforward, but it’s the mutant pumpkin’s creature design and its creative and vicious kills that make Carved worth a watch this Halloween.
The monster itself is a masterpiece of practical effects and CGI, with vines emerging from its mouth and eyes acting as its legs. It darts around like a spider, using its legs to stab, choke, and decapitate its victims. The creature is both unpredictable and methodical, intent on killing those who carved up its fellow pumpkins, but also attacking anyone who crosses its path. The use of practical effects in Carved is inspired by movies like Tremors, Gremlins, and Aliens, and the result is a compelling creature feature that’s both spooky and entertaining.
Carved, a Hulu original film (Image via Getty)
The film’s novelty lies in its absurd and violent kills, including a scene where the pumpkin wields and disembowels one of its victims using a kitchen knife. The unseriousness of the film’s conceit and the shockingly violent kills make Carved a fun and spooky watch before Huluween comes to an end. The cast, featuring talented young actors Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Wyatt Lindner as the two main protagonists, adds to the film’s charm.
With its creative creature design, clever use of practical effects, and increasingly absurd and violent kills, Carved is a must-watch for fans of horror-comedies. The film’s ability to balance campy humor with effective scares and creative kills makes it a standout in the horror genre. Carved is a fun and entertaining ride that’s sure to delight fans of horror-comedies and leave them eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the Carved saga.
