Netflix’s raunchy, laugh-out-loud funny Halloween comedy deserves its weight in Razzie nominations
Netflix’s raunchy, laugh-out-loud funny Halloween comedy deserves its weight in Razzie nominations
By Robert Scucci | Published: 2025-10-22 18:05:00 | Source: GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT
Written by Robert Scocchi | Published
Adam Sandler’s late-career films are always hit or miss, but they’re just the stuff of nostalgia no matter how you look at them. The first thought I thought of after watching 2020 Hobby Halloween It was “how much”. Water boy Will there be callbacks in this movie? From the Sandler-nominated “wet little sound” to the bed-wetting gag, both of which are direct references to the 1998 film, Hobby Halloween Far from inspiring.
This isn’t a problem, though. It’s a fun underdog story that serves as a solid introduction for younger Sandler fans who haven’t yet explored his back catalog the way ’90s kids have.
on its own, Hobby Halloween It delivers, but you have to be interested in what it offers. If you scoffed at every Sandler outing before reading the synopsis, then you can move on. But if you have a cautious enthusiasm because you remember enjoying a comedy before your brain was fully mature, and don’t want to spoil those memories by realizing you’re still making the same movie decades later, this movie might surprise you. It’s Sandler by the numbers, but she relishes its premise. He’s stupid as hell, but he has a lot of heart.
A man and a child cried wolf
Like most Happy Madison productions, Hobby Halloween Riffs on the same premise in a new setting. Hobbie DuBois (Adam Sandler) works at a restaurant in Salem, Massachusetts and loves two things: Halloween and safety. Three things if you count the Swiss Army thermos. Everyone in the city uses him as an emotional punching bag, throwing anything they can find at him while he rides his bike through the streets. Their cruelty is constant, but Hubie always responds with kindness.
Frustrated by Hubie’s over-commitment to monitoring the city for troublemakers and reporting harmless activity, Sergeant Steve Downey (Kevin James) gives him a false classification as a member of the Auxiliary Undercover Unit (AUU). The position does not actually exist; It’s just a way to keep Hubie busy, but it’s an opportunity of a lifetime for our fading hero.
After enduring a series of cruel pranks, Hoppy befriends his neighbor Walter (Steve Buscemi), who may or may not be a 359-year-old werewolf. Meanwhile, a kidnapping plot involving Lester Hennessy (Tim Meadows) and his wife Mary (Maya Rudolph) unfolds. Hubie becomes the prime suspect, as the Hennessey family has spent years pranking him. A grand Halloween conspiracy threatens to ruin the holiday for everyone unless Hubie can clear his name and save the day in his unofficial capacity.
A comfortable background suitable for this season
Hobby Halloween It doesn’t break any new ground if you’ve followed Sandler’s career from the beginning. Its charm comes from the familiar faces pretending like they were hired to hang out and make each other laugh. Rob Schneider, Kenan Thompson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ben Stiller all appear, but none of them overstay their welcome. It sounds like a holiday comedy that probably focuses on how many times Sandler has to scream to get maximum laughs.
As routine as everything is, Hobby Halloween It still works. It’s the definition of relaxing background noise. It’s the kind of movie you watch while decorating for Halloween so you don’t have to listen to your own ideas. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s cheerful, nostalgic, and harmless in a way that’s appropriate for the season.
Hobby Halloween It is a Netflix Original and can be streamed with an active subscription.
(Tags for translation)Ben Stiller
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