Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, over-the-top gore in killer pumpkin slasher.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Carved
What's the Story?
In CARVED, a bunch of teens and young adults try to survive and escape a killer pumpkin on the loose at their Halloween festival.
Is It Any Good?
This over-the-top horror movie was born out of a five-minute short with the same title. But fleshed out into an entire full-length film, Carved doesn't have enough substance or depth to justify the making of it. Some fans of the genre might get a few kicks and laughs (some intentional, some unintentional) out of the violence and gore, but most viewers will likely get bored quickly. The killer pumpkin does pose a threat, which is necessary, in that if any person is caught in its vicinity, they will likely die. However, because of this, when characters don't die immediately or find ways to just narrowly escape the killer pumpkin's wrath, it often doesn't feel organic.
Other logical problems begin to mount, like why ever stand close to open windows or wooden doors when you've literally just seen vines burst through each with lightning speed, killing others? Why "go back" to retrieve anything when you've just escaped? It isn't clear if the film knows it commits common horror movie trope errors. It's also unfortunate that the two queer characters inevitably suffer horrible deaths. But the teen and young adult actors in this ensemble cast do their mightiest, despite this film's premise and execution.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in horror movies. Did any of the violence in Carved surprise you? What were the most violent parts?
Do you think the characters acted realistically in the face of danger? Would you have made any different decisions?
Were you satisfied with how this film ends? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 21, 2024
- Cast : Peyton Elizabeth Lee , Corey Fogelmanis , Carla Jimenez , Elvis Nolasco
- Director : Justin Harding
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Hulu
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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