Get ready for “The Curse of Bridge Hollow!” The new Netflix film celebrates Halloween in its own unique way. The people of Bridge Hollow go all out for Halloween with festive decorations all over the town and things begin with the Gordon family moving from an apartment in Brooklyn to a Victorian house in Bridge Hollow for better opportunities and a real house. However, the dad, Howard (Marlon Wayans), and the daughter, Sydney (Priah Ferguson), have opposing opinions about how they should lead their lives. Howard wants to keep Sydney safe and knowledgeable about the facts of the world, while Sydney wants to investigate the unexplained.
When they move to Bridge Hollow, Howard dismisses everything Sydney wants to do and claims that Halloween is silly and so are the townspeople who celebrate it. Sydney is excited about the decorations, but Howard does not want to be a part of the holiday and chooses not to decorate. Emily Gordon (Kelly Rowland) wants the best of both worlds for her husband and daughter and sees both points of view. As Sydney explores the town, she meets three new friends who introduce her to the school club, The Bridge Hollow of Supernatural. Through her new friends, she learns more about her house and its history regarding the infamous supernatural being, Stingy Jack, who terrorizes the town on Halloween night. What Sydney doesn’t know is that she will soon release Stingy Jack and unleash mayhem on the town.
Sydney finds the jack-o-lantern hidden away and lights it but Howard sees that Sydney found a Halloween decoration and tries to blow it out. However, the flame will not go out. Once it’s lit, it turns all of the decorations into monsters. Sydney and Howard have to work together to defeat Stingy Jack and his minions. Sydney, the believer in the unknown, is determined to save the town from eternal Halloween night. Howard, on the other hand, is forced to help Sydney, while not believing that the decorations have actually come to life.
“The Curse of Bridge Hollow” is enjoyable if you want to laugh and search for references and easter eggs within the movie. I found several references that made me laugh and are relevant to various movies and tv shows such as “The Walking Dead.” The movie’s highlight is the father and daughter pair as Howard is a bonafide scaredy cat whereas Sydney is a badass teenager. My favorite character is Sydney as I relate to her desire for the unknown.
This film is on Netflix ready for you to enjoy with some popcorn and Halloween candy.
By Ayla Hooper