In 2019, Adam Sandlerjoked that if he didn’t win an Oscar for “Uncut Gems” (2019) he would make a movie “that is so bad on purpose” just to get back at the industry. Enter “Hubie Halloween” (2020), which is, by any standards, not a good movie. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy watching it.
The plot centers around Hubie Dubois, the laughingstock of Salem, Mass., who believes that his purpose in life is to keep everyone safe on Halloween. Hubie (often called “Pubie” in jest) is relentlessly mocked, pranked and harassed by his fellow Salem residents. When something in town seems amiss on Halloween night, Hubie takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of the mystery. As the story spirals into ever-growing nonsense, Hubie becomes the hero he believes he was meant to be (and the one that we expected from the start).
The best part of the film is undoubtedly the first 30 minutes when you’re not quite sure what vibe to expect. The absurdist humor and the over-the-top aloofness of the characters will take you by surprise. I definitely laughed out loud a few times, mostly because I simply wasn’t expecting the jokes to be so downright dumb. Particularly funny was Hubie’s “swiss-army thermos” which miraculously had a tool for every situation. The film very much leans into the silliness, but by the end you’re left feeling a bit tired. Hubie’s screaming for dear life at every jump scare or talking in his unintelligible voice can only take humor so far.
Aside from the lazy writing and contrived humor (which were expected), what really detracted from the film was the cringeworthy way that the characters made fun of Hubie. For a film that essentially carries an anti-bullying message, I would have liked the actual bullying to be a lot more realistic. I couldn’t take any insults seriously which meant I couldn’t take any genuine moments seriously either.
The cast features a deep star-studded roster all the way from Kevin James to Noah Schnapp, to Shaquille O’Neal. The best performance for me was Steve Buscemi playing (in the most Buscemi way possible) a man who believes he is a werewolf. Sandler himself was unimpressive, especially considering his recent unbelievable work in “Uncut Gems.” Julie Bowen got the short end of the stick, as the writing for her character was almost unbearable to watch.
“Hubie Halloween” is nowhere near Sandler’s greatest work, and it will certainly be forgotten by next Halloween. The final half hour of the movie drags and feels unnecessary; despite all this, the movie still has its moments of wholesome fun. If you know what you’re getting yourself into with this truly bad film, you might just enjoy yourself along the way.
