THE CURSE OF BRIDGE HOLLOW Is a Gateway Horror Treat

New to a New England suburb, the Gordon family must save their town from a curse that’s brought the Halloween decorations to life. Starring Marlon Wayans, Priah Ferguson, and Kelly Rowland, The Curse of Bridge Hollow is a family-friendly adventure that’s great for future horror fans, even if it is a bit familiar for most.

Howard Gordon (Wayans) has just uprooted his wife Emily (Rowland) and daughter Sydney (Ferguson) from their life in Brooklyn to the cookie-cutter town of Bridge Hollow. They find that their new community is big into Halloween, with most houses covered in elaborate decorations. Sydney (Ferguson) is eager to participate in the fun, but Howard finds the whole thing to be a bit silly.

When Sydney learns of the town legend, a man named Stingy Jack, she unknowingly releases his spirit to wreak havoc. His ghost brings the town’s decorations to life and releases zombies, spiders, and killer clowns among them. It’ll be up to the father-daughter duo and some new friends to save them all.

While there’s nothing wildly original about The Curse of Bridge Hollow, it’s a fun bag of tricks for the Halloween season and something the whole family can enjoy. It reminded me of the classic Disney Channel films I enjoyed as a kid and still think fondly of in adulthood. There’s a little bit of mysticism, some lighthearted comedy, and a lot of mild spooky sights.

It captures the season perfectly, and the town of Bridge Hollow is certainly an envious place for those of us who love the holiday. The gags are actually really well done when the decorations come to life, and it has some nice references scattered throughout. I even loved the dynamic between Wayans and Ferguson, who are clearly having a great time with the story.

It’s easy to compare to another Netflix original, last year’s Hubie Halloween, but I honestly don’t see the issue with that. These sorts of haunted hijinks are a bit mindless but still satisfying for the Halloween aesthetics alone. The Curse of Bridge Hollow isn’t for serious horror fans, but it is a great little gateway treat for younger viewers.

The Curse of Bridge Hollow is not streaming on Netflix