Review of Pumpkinhead

I wouldn't say that Pumpkinhead is an outstanding film, but it has always been a film that I've enjoyed immensely in a way that none of its sequels matched. It is not perfect, with a plodding last third(though the very end is great) and some under-characterised exposition. However, there is so much to like about Pumpkinhead. The best two assets were the atmosphere and Pumpkinhead himself. The atmosphere has that sense of eeriness and the scares and killings(not relying on cheap gore like the sequels did thankfully) are genuinely creepy. Pumpkinhead is wonderfully played by Lance Henrikssen, the monster does look good and moves methodically while having that sense of dread. For my tastes, he was too ruthless in the sequels which diluted that sense for me. The sets look beautiful, and the music is very haunting. The story unfolds slowly, but necessarily for the tension to be more effective, and the script and characters are decent, not the most well-developed but likable all the same and all of them have a point to the story. Of the cast, nobody reaches Henrikssen's level, but nobody is bad either, no real sense of blandness or serious over-acting. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable film. 8/10 Bethany Cox