“You know something, Ricks? I don’t think I care too much for this podunk town anymore.”

Story: Every year on Halloween, the yutes of a small rural town go on a “Halloween Run”. There’s a legend of “Sawtooth Jack”, a local boogeyman who tries to get to the town’s church before midnight. The Run? Well, the boys must stop Jack at all costs. All costs. Did I mention the winner of the Run gets a special prize? After all participants have been locked in their rooms for three days, without food. That’s not weird at all. On your mark…

Scares: An overall sense of dread. This film’s more about the red stuff, though wandering through cornfields at night can be darn spooky.
Splat Factor: Teens get slaughtered big-time. Mostly in wide shots, but we’re talking bodies ripped apart, and geysers of the red stuff.

Subgenre: Small Town Fall Folk Horror
Year Released: 2023
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Based on the book of the same name by Norman Partridge.

Trick or Treat?: Harvest deserves a lot more eyes on it. Heck, the book deserves more love as well, but I didn’t even realize this film had released last October. I knew it was on the schedule for 2023, but then I lost track. Shame on you, marketing people. Because this one’s a blast that’s perfect for the season.

The parallels between cold war American conformity and the town’s willingness to obey the “rules” is obvious. Yet Harvest‘s analogy is potent. Heck, you could set this in a small suburb and it’d have the same creepy “go along to get along” feel. Like Hot Fuzz, the townsfolk hold tight to their traditions, for reasons the teens don’t understand. But once those teens reach adulthood? They’re pulled in. It’s easy to see what the town’s Big Secret is. But the real pull of Harvest is how the townsfolk – young and old – react to the Run, and how the events of the night play out.

Bonus points for casting Elizabeth Reaser, aka Twilight‘s Esme Cullen (insert rat emoji here), as Ritchie’s mom. Reaser’s performance is incredible, and reminds me that she really needs more gigs. The lady has chops. Actually, the whole cast is damn good. Surprisingly good performances from what’s basically a drive-in doozy kinda film. The ensemble cast of teen boys sent out to hunt Jack give unique performances that feel like things real people would do, rather than cliché shit we’ve seen a million times. And that makes for some really interesting moments, where I was rooting for some, wishing death on others.

Seriously, this movie has no right to be as entertaining as it is. This is modern-day folk horror that feels like it could actually be happening in your old hometown. Or that small town just up the road a while. Author Partridge managed to take basic folk horror ideas and plant them firmly into the 21st century, all the while keeping things eerily ancient. This film’s overall plot is the same as the novel, but there are changes that are satisfying for this different medium. Basically, the mythology of Jack is fleshed out a bit more here, and the way things tie up packs more of an emotional punch.

Eerie cornfield shots and excellent use of sound editing keep the chills coming, as the teens both search for and try to protect themselves from Jack. As for the FX? DAAAAAAANG. The red stuff is loud and proud, with deaths coming at you in gory Technicolor. The Sawtooth Jack FX are incredibly effective, though he’s very evocative of Pumpkinhead and Sam from Trick R Treat. Like, definitely “borrowed heavily”. Okay fine; pumpkins look like…pumpkins. So Jack-o’-Lantern monsters are gonna echo each other. Still, if you’re like me – poor you – you’ll see similarities while you’re in the thick of things.

Definitely a must watch this season. Curl up with some snacks – I suggest candy bars and pumpkin seeds. Maybe leave off the snacks if you’re sensitive, or new to the genre. Gorehounds? This’ll be a fun one. Turn the lights off, and enjoy.

Score: 4.5 out of 5 pumpkins.