Editor's note: This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn't exist.

R.L. Stine's spooky Goosebumps books and the sprawling media franchise they've spawned have long been a staple of the Halloween season, providing the kind of thrills that even those who avoid horror at all costs can enjoy. The property has already led to a television show and two movies, which in some cases would suggest there isn't a fresh way to approach a new adaptation. However, in the case of Disney+ and Hulu's Goosebumps, created by Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller, there's still plenty excitement to be found as several of Stine's classic novels are reimagined, and an intriguing mystery takes hold.

In the misty town of Port Lawrence, Halloween heralds the start of a peculiar time for a group of teenagers. Star quarterback Isaiah (Zack Morris) kicks things off when he hosts a party at the infamous Biddle house, a creaky old building where, thirty years ago, teenager Harold Biddle (Ben Cockell) died under mysterious circumstances. Before he perished, though, Harold maintained a collection of otherworldly items, several of which fall into the hands of various partygoers during the big Halloween bash. To start, Isaiah nabs a camera whose pictures predict horrible futures, while overlooked AV club member Isabella (Ana Yi Puig) puts on a mask that takes on a life of its own. As the teens slowly come to grips with the supernatural terrors springing up around them - as well as how they connect to their own parents - they realize it all comes back to one thing: Harold Biddle's vengeful spirit.

Goosebumps has 10 episodes in its first season, the first five of which have been screened for this review. Each of the initial five episodes put the spotlight on one of the main teens and their first brushes with Biddle's tricks. In addition to Isaiah and Isabella, the group includes outgoing James (Miles McKenna), aspiring daredevil Lucas (Will Price), and brainiac Margot (Isa Briones). Their individual stories are taken straight from Stine's original Goosebumps stories, albeit with some twists. Of them all, James' adventure features a delightfully twisted take on a time loop story, and Isabella's mask mishap gets truly monstrous in the best way. Though this is a Disney+ production, Goosebumps isn't afraid to veer towards genuine frights. While it would be a stretch to call the show terrifying, it certainly isn't a sanitized, Disney-fied take on Stine's work. Letterman and Stoller succeed in walking the careful line between playful and spooky, making this a great Halloween watch.

It helps that Goosebumps has an impressive ensemble playing compelling characters, and that there's a very personal mystery at the heart of the haunted tales. As the season gradually reveals, the core characters' parents know more about Biddle than they're letting on, though answers on that front are slow to come. Because of that, it's smart of Disney+ and Hulu to release the first five episodes all at once; though the one-off adventures are fun and deepen the characters we're supposed to care about, they don't always push the overarching conflict forward. Real answers surrounding Biddle don't arrive until episode 5. Thankfully, the reveals there set up a very intriguing back half of the season. Justin Long, who has been dipping more and more into the horror genre these days, helps propel the mystery onward through his character Mr. Bratt, a new teacher who has just moved into the Biddle house and swiftly becomes victim to the supernatural forces at play. Long is perfectly creepy in this role, particularly in a scene with Lucas' mom Nora (Rachael Harris), who gets the largest role of all the parents due to her own knowledge of Harold Biddle's past.

The teenagers are quick to work out that their frightening new circumstances are all related to Biddle somehow, and the speed at which they draw conclusions can raise some eyebrows. At the same time, it's easy to overlook it all when Goosebumps works in personal, character-developing moments within each scary outing. For example, Lucas' disturbing encounter with some worms leads to a poignant moment with his mom regarding the death of his father, and James' time loop nightmare brings out some cracks in his close friendship with Isaiah. Not all the characters are explored equally by the end of episode 5, but the group as a whole is endearing. Each of the young performers is up to the task of facing off against nightmarish situations and typical teen angst, and it's hard to pick a single standout when they're all so great at playing off each other.

With an entire half of a season left to go, it remains to be seen how Goosebumps will fare once it settles into a more serialized plot after five episodes of standalone stories. So far, though, it has built up enough goodwill with this critic for her to go along for the ride. With the perfect balance of entertaining antics and unnerving twists, Goosebumps has arrived at just the right time and proves Stine's stories can flourish for a new generation.

Goosebumps season 1 consists of 10 episodes. It releases the first five episodes Friday, October 13 on Disney+ and Hulu, with the rest following weekly.