The New Movie of the Week: Carved 2024

On Halloween night in 1993 in Carver’s Creek, a historical reenactment village is having its first large Halloween festival since a train derailment spilled toxic chemicals near the village and killed several of its town folk.  AJ (Elvis Nolasco), a network news reporter, is covering the momentous event, but is upsetting the towns leader, Bill (DJ Qualls) who is just trying to get past the tragedy.  Kira (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), an aspiring playwright, and the actors from the annual Halloween show all prepare for the pumpkin carving contest.  Kira allows her kid brother, Trevor (Wyatt Linder) to carve her pumpkin in her place.  Unbeknownst to the participants of the town, one of the pumpkins about to be carved was mutated by the chemical spill and has become sentient and after witnessing the contestants cutting and slashing into pumpkins with a frantic fervor begins to take revenge, targeting those who participated in the contest, including Trevor.  The initial attack kills the majority of the town’s folk, but a small group of survivors attempt to survive and find a way to escape.

Carved is a 2024 horror comedy written and directed by Justin Harding and based on the filmmaker’s 2018 short film of the same name.  The movie began streaming on Hulu October 21, 2024, as part of the service’s Huluween event.  The critical reception has been mixed, but for the most part has generally been negative. some critics praising its unique premise and blend of horror and humor, while others have criticized its uneven pacing and predictable plot.

Was this film entertaining?  Barely!  I love the premise of the story, and the overall plot is fun with some unique elements.  But the movie suffers from uneven writing, wooden actors, characters who are annoying, and not enough exposition or character development to really help the audience connect with what is being created.  The production quality is alright, but you never really get a good look at the pumpkin, at least not for long.  The effects of the pumpkins tendril like vines are mostly adequate when CGI produced, but in the few shots that practical puppetry effects are being employed, it looks cheap and unrealistic.  The acting wasn’t terrible but was somewhat uneven from scene to scene.  And there are some odd acting choices.  Chris Elliot, who plays Earl, the crotchety farmer father to a couple of the younger characters, was just a bit weird and did not feel authentic at all.  Jackson Kelley and Matty Cardarople play Earl’s stoner sons who find the violent gourd and bring it to the festival, both of their characters are both stupid and annoying. Jonah Lees incessant whining grows old very quickly.  Although, the film brands itself as a “horror comedy”, it never really leans into the absurdity of the situation which could have created a much more cohesive humorous film and could have created a cult classic, but by the end of the film I was sort of rooting for the pumpkin to win, (I mean, it did witness the slaughter of its own kind) which I don’t think was the filmmakers intention.