Goosebumps: The Vanishing (2025) spoiler free review
The past never stays buried. Based on R.L. Stine’s books, Goosebumps is a supernatural horror series developed by Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller. Departing from the 1995 series’ episodic format, this version uses a serialized anthology approach, with season-long storylines that still incorporate familiar Goosebumps monsters and elements. The second season, Goosebumps: The Vanishing, premiered on January 10, 2025 on Disney+ and Hulu.
Teenage siblings discover a threat within their home, setting off a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, the duo find themselves entangled in the story of five teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.
Season 2 synopsis
The cast includes David Schwimmer as Anthony Brewer, Ana Ortiz as Jen Morales, Isabella Ferreira as Young Jen, Sam McCarthy as Devin Brewer, Jayden Bartels as Cece Brewer, Elijah M. Cooper as CJ, Galilea La Salvia as Frankie, Francesca Noel as Alex Morales, Sakina Jaffrey as Ramona, Arjun Athalye as Sameer, Eloise Payet as Hannah, Christopher Paul Richards as Matty, Kyra Tantao as Nicole, Stony Blyden as Trey, and Sakina Jaffrey as Ramona.
Episode Guide:
- 1. Stay Out of the Basement, Part I (46 min)
- 2. Stay Out of the Basement, Part II (44 min)
- 3. The Haunted Car (43 min)
- 4. Monster Blood (40 min)
- 5. The Boy Who Cried Monster (44 min)
- 6. The Girl Next Door (40 min)
- 7. Welcome to Camp Nightmare (39 min)
- 8. Episode 8 (45 min)
What was supposed to be a normal summer quickly turned into a nightmare. Twins Devin and Cece are adjusting to what their life will be like this summer as they move in with their dad Anthony in Brooklyn. But the group of friends they join soon puts everyone’s lives in danger and brings back what took Matty, Anthony’s older brother and the twins’ uncle, 30 years ago. The countdown has begun and it falls on the shoulders of these teenagers to discover the truth and stop the hungry evil that spreads through the sewers.
This eight-episode season, with approximately 40-minute runtimes, mirrors the first season’s format, adapting elements from various Goosebumps books—Stay Out of the Basement, The Haunted Car, Monster Blood, The Boy Who Cried Monster, The Girl Next Door, and Welcome to Camp Nightmare—into a cohesive, serialized narrative. The series excels at seamlessly integrating these classic stories into a modern setting, maintaining tight plotting with no loose ends, incorporating effective humor, and delivering the right balance of horror for its target audience of children and teenagers.
However, the season’s pacing is uneven. It takes a couple of episodes for the story to truly engage the viewer, and the plot initially struggles to find its rhythm. Once it does, however, the narrative becomes compelling, generating genuine suspense. Furthermore, some performances occasionally veer into overacting, and several characters remain underdeveloped, relying on stereotypical portrayals. While the modern soundtrack features strong selections, some songs feel out of place at times and undermines the intended atmosphere of dread.
Despite these shortcomings, the season concludes strongly, making both seasons worthwhile viewing and providing an excellent introduction to the horror genre for younger audiences.
Both season are now available on Disney+ and Hulu.