Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls - Movie Review
My Halloween viewing rotation is already active. Wait… it’s always active. I have a deep love for the horribly written and acted Disney Channel Original Halloween movies from my childhood. We’re talking Under Wraps, My Babysitter is a Vampire, and Girl Vs. Monster here. While Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls is a Disney Channel Original, it doesn’t have much of anything in common with its TV-Movie brethren. That’s because it’s actually well written and well acted.
Let’s Discuss.
This is an R.L Stine “based" film. I say “based” because so many of these projects have his name slapped on it, but have no actual basis in his writings other than the titles. It also has a much more cohesive plot and ending than any of Stine’s children books ever did. This is a the story of Beth, played by the incredibly talented Dove Cameron, and her friends as they embark on a Halloween season that they’ll never forget. Beth and co. are invited by the creepy ringmaster and his sexy goth daughter to attend the opening of Dr. Hysteria's Hall of Horrors. The horror carnival is extremely realistic and the kids love it, except for Beth who accidentally gets a peak behind the scenes and finds that not all the monsters in the attraction are fake. She has to find someone, anyone that will believe her to help her stop the evil carnival from consuming the town. It’s a toned down mash-up of Something Wicked This Way Comes and Carnival of Souls.
This film has many of the tropes from Disney Channel Original movies, but they are well done compared to most. The movie almost starts immediately with a dance sequence. It fits in the story as the Halloween festival is corny, and the town’s dance school owner throws a corny monster dance competition which is goofy looking. That’s the point however to embarrass the leads as the evil interrupts the show. The script has good pacing and flow and the characters actually have development. They are a believable group of friends. It’s obvious the cast enjoyed being around each other, especially when you see the behind the scenes and credits sequences where they interact out of character. None of this would work unless the actors were talents and by God, they are.
Let’s start with Dove Cameron. I had no idea who she was when I saw this movie. I was beyond the target age for the movies that made her a Disney Legends, namely the Descendants series. She is a dynamic performer who can dance, sing, and act effectively. Her life story is an inspiration as she’s dealt with terrible loss and trauma and bounced back stronger than ever. She has incredible bone structure and her facial expression range is beyond the norm. She’s just fantastic and I'm hoping she gets a big break into Hollywood. I’d love to see her join Samara Weaving and Anya Taylor Joy as a new horror icon. I liked her performance in this movie so much, I based a character in my new book, Night in the Shade, on Dove herself.
Now, just because I gushed over the lead, don’t think I’m not going to touch on our other actors. The male lead is well acted by Braeden Lemasters. The role of the insecure best friend is easily turned into an annoying stereotype, but in this case Lemasters is so charismatic that it actually comes off as sincere. You root for his character because he puts so much soul into the role. The same can be said for the jealous best friend, Tiffany Espensen, who you might recognize from Spiderman: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War. What could easily have been tired, boring relationship is made dynamic by Espensen’s good non-verbals and sheer talent. She’s a beautiful woman who is obviously on her way to greatness. Speaking of greatness, this film provides an early performance by Katherine McNamara, one of the most beautiful women on the planet. She’s built an impressive career since including starring on Shadowhunters, Arrow, and the Flash Television shows. She is stunning and her vocal performance and intonation is unbelievable. She’s a wholesome seductress who lures you in like a land-bound siren. I’m sorry, I would have turned to Evil in an instant. She is my dream actress to play Elizabeth if my Killing Heart books ever got adapted into a Film or TV show. I really hope the rumors of her being the star of the new Urban Legend film are true. Along with Dove, she’s bound for greatness.
This is just a fun good movie. As a parent, it’s a good action-horror film that I can watch with my five-year-old and still be engrossed. It has some legit freaky sections. Especially when a live rat is consumed by a zombie, which is a great gross-out. The special effects are way better than most Disney Channel efforts, with the monsters effects being handled by Andrea Dulmage who worked on one of my favorite films of all-time, American Mary.
Check this out, it’s streaming on Disney+ and Hulu currently for the Halloween Season.
