Netflix’s “The Curse of Bridge Hollow” Review: A Perfect Creepy, Comical Weekend Flick For The Whole Family

There are times when you might be flicking through Netflix to find something absolutely terrifying.  From bone-chilling documentaries about haunted hotels and Satanic serial killers to spooktacular shows about vampire priests and undead slashers, horror heads are spoiled for choice. That said, sometimes, we don’t feel like soaking our coaches with cold sweat. Sometimes, we’re looking to sleep with the lights on and we check the corners. Maybe we just want to sit back and have a fun, not-so-spooky time with a good-ole horror comedy. We supremely enjoyed films like 2021’s “Vampires vs. the Bronx” and “The Babysitter” which had a great balance of laughs and scares. Well, good news for you scaredy cats out there because we’re getting another entry into Netflix’s horror-comedy library with a frightful flick “The Curse of Bridge Hollow”!

A Halloween-themed family film starring Marlon Wayans (aka one half of the “White Chicks” duo) and actress Priah Ferguson, who plays Lucas’ younger sister Erica Sinclair in “Stranger Things”. Can Wayans and Ferguson deliver a fun horror classic for all ages? Or will this put the kids to bed early? Let’s find out!

When middle school science teacher Howard Gordon moved to the sleepy town of Bridge Hollow, he was expecting a quiet life for his family. He’s never been a fan of the supernatural and prides himself as a man of reason and science, something his daughter Sydney never exactly took to. Howard, however, is about to find out that he left the world of sanity and logic back in Brooklyn when Sydney accidentally unleashes an ancient evil upon the town, a vengeful Halloween spirit named Stingy Jack! The spirit quickly turns the town upside down as Halloween decorations of ghosts, monsters and killer clowns come roaring to life.

The plot of “Bridge Hollow” takes some inspiration from 2015’s cinematic rendition of R.L. Stine’s books in “Goosebumps” and that’s all good, baby! This film does not waste any time in getting you straight into the Halloween fun with Sydney quickly discovering Stingy Jack’s cursed lantern, leading to some zombie mayhem and chaos. From there, the film ramps up to eleven as more and more of the puppets and decorations of the town spring to terrifying life.

A great deal of the humour and fun of the film is seeing Howard slowly but surely realise that there is something truly strange and magical happening in the town. A lot of times, it can feel like a slow burn but there’s so much pop and personality in the writing that you never feel bored, even when the ghouls are yet to pop out. It certainly helps that the town is populated with colourful characters from their lovable, if not slow, neighbour to the old, wizened storyteller Madam Hawthorne.

There is a character arc with Howard learning to overcome his fear of the unknown and to come to terms with his daughter learning to be her own person. It’s not the most profound piece of character development but it certainly does provide a good deal of opportunities for situational humour as Wayans’ character mindlessly scrutinises the supernatural in an effort to suppress his deep-seated fear. Sydney is pretty much there just to provide perspective and counter her dad’s myopic view of the world as she rattles off the exposition of Howard’s flawed parenting. Eventually, they do come to appreciate each other’s differences and you get the warm fuzzies. It’s a lot like eating a Twiggy, it’s a familiar guilty pleasure.

As we mentioned, this film is family-orientated so don’t expect to see gore or too many jumpscares. Most of the time when the film dips into the realm of horror, its edge is often undercut by either a cheeky quip, some mild absurdity or a zany fight scene. Barring a few scenes involving some CGI, a lot of the spooky moments here are brought to life via practical effects and stunts which is something we absolutely commend! There’s an intentionally campy, B-movie style to the aesthetics which fits in perfectly with the film’s premise. They’re cheap Halloween costumes and animatronics so it makes sense that there be a tinge of silliness to their malevolence.

Now comes the big question: how many times do we have to hear Marlon Wayans scream like a little girl in the film? The answer is not as many times as he does in “Scary Movie 2”. For better or for worse, Wayans has become known for his over-the-top antics as seen in his many, many parody films. While he does bring some of the chaotic energy we’ve come to expect, he’s far more restrained and tempered in his performance. Priah Ferguson does a great job as the wide-eyed and sassy Sydney. Whenever Ferguson and Wayans are on screen, you get some pretty chuckle-worthy banter between them.

Adding to the fun is Kelly Rowland as your supportive sitcom mom Emily, Rob Riggles (otherwise known as the unhinged coach from “21 Jump Street”), as the dorky and surprisingly badass Sully and a whole bunch of great supporting characters. Sure they exist to either further the plot or set up punchlines for our duo, but darn it, are these two-dimensional folks endearing!

Netflix’s “The Curse of Bridge Hollow” is an early Halloween treat for all ages! Director Jeff Wadlow makes use of its light and fun premise to deliver rapid-fire laughs and mild thrills throughout its brisk hour-and-a-half runtime. Marlon Wayans and Priah Ferguson’s excellent on-screen chemistry as father and daughter along with a dedicated cast of goofballs make this an easy watch and recommend. There’s some good potential here for a film series. After all, the film’s ending does tease the potential for some future spooky shenanigans.

You can now catch “The Curse of Bridge Hollow” on Netflix today!