‘Haunted Lodge’ evaluation: ‘The Shining’ meets ‘Bob’s Burgers’ in Netflix’s charming animated comedy

We’re formally within the wonderful time of 12 months that’s pre-Halloween fall. The air has a slight crispness to it, the leaves are on the verge of turning, and the promise of horror film marathons is simply across the nook.

However when you’re not prepared to leap into full-fledged scares simply but, don’t fret. Netflix’s new animated collection Haunted Lodge is the proper watch to get you within the Halloween spirit. Extra kooky than spooky, it is a candy twist on the household sitcom format that’ll have you ever champing on the bit for October to reach sooner.

What’s Haunted Lodge about?

The collection facilities on Katherine (voiced by Eliza Coupe), a single mom who’s inherited the haunted Undervale Lodge from her late brother Nathan (voiced by Will Forte). Nathan could also be useless, however he is probably not gone. Like anybody who dies on the grounds of the Undervale, he is come again as a ghost. However not like among the Undervale’s extra violent visitors — just like the knife-wielding Stabby Pete — Nathan does not wish to terrify the residing. As a substitute, he needs to assist Katherine and her two youngsters, Ben (voiced by Skyler Gisondo) and Esther (voiced by Natalie Palamides), run the struggling household enterprise.

In case you suppose that premise seems like Bob’s Burgers meets The Shining, you would not be too far off — particularly with regards to the Bob’s Burgers component. Along with her thoughts nearly continually on the Undervale’s enterprise woes, Katherine calls to thoughts Bob Belcher. In the meantime, the mischievous Esther is principally a carbon copy of Louise… if Louise had been tremendous into darkish magic.

Haunted Lodge‘s idea could garner different comparisons too, comparable to CBS’ Ghosts (a couple of bed-and-breakfast overrun by spirits), or Prime Video’s Hazbin Lodge (a couple of hellish lodge meant to redeem demons). However the similarities cease with the lodge setting. Actually, Haunted Lodge shares extra of its DNA with Rick and Morty, because it was created by Rick and Morty author Matt Curler. (Rick and Morty‘s Dan Harmon and Steve Levy additionally co-executive produce.) The Rick and Morty connection means Haunted Lodge boasts an identical type of pop culture-tinged absurdity and darkish humor — the latter particularly, since many of the present’s characters died in ugly methods. Nonetheless, the edginess typically related to Rick and Morty will get sanded down right here, making approach for a extra nurturing household dynamic general.

Haunted Lodge‘s actual superpower is its central household.

Add them to my record of consolation animated households.
Credit score: Netflix

The Undervale’s horror parts are a surefire hook for Haunted Lodge. Its many ghosts are immediately memorable, even when they solely get a number of moments of display screen time per episode. (Shout-out to my private favourite, the candle-obsessed Mr. Candles!) The collection additionally loves a superb horror film pastiche, from a sex-negative slasher straight out of Friday the thirteenth to a possession scene that pays homage to The Exorcist.

Don’t miss out on our newest tales: Add Mashable as a trusted information supply in Google.

Nevertheless it’s the present’s central household that actually breathes life into the Undervale, giving us a cause to care deeply for the lodge as a substitute of simply passively take within the many ghosts who hang-out it. Katherine’s ghost fatigue serves as the proper foil for Nathan’s optimism about working alongside the ghosts, however there’s extra to their relationship in addition to “pro-ghost” and “anti-ghost.” For Nathan, loss of life hasn’t modified too many issues — past the truth that he can stroll by way of partitions and may’t truly decide up or contact something, that’s. However for Katherine, she’s grieved her brother’s loss of life and continues to be processing his loss, even when she will be able to nonetheless converse along with his ghost. It is the present’s most shifting storyline, particularly as Haunted Lodge delves into the tragic circumstances behind Nathan’s loss of life. The present handles these circumstances with a reasonably mild hand, however that does not make the sting of Katherine’s grief any much less painful.

Katherine’s youngsters lighten issues: Ben struggles along with his ghost girlfriend and his awkward experiences at college, whereas Esther’s supernatural scheming — together with a surprisingly prescient twist on collectibles like Labubus — reliably causes chaos. Nevertheless it’s the honorary fifth member of the household who’s the true star right here. His title is Abaddon (voiced by Jimmi Simpson), and he is an historic demon trapped within the physique of a small Victorian boy.

Simpson brings a near-manic depth to the position of Abaddon, one which contrasts ridiculously with the character’s infantile look. Curler takes full benefit of that distinction, inserting Abaddon in all method of regular conditions that instantly develop into foolish because of his demonic need to overcome all. He worships blenders as the proper killing machine; he fiendishly devotes himself to profitable Join 4; he despairs that he is doomed for all eternity when he will get trapped behind a door. But regardless of all his demonic propensities, he nonetheless finds himself drawn to Katherine, Nathan, Ben, and Esther, maybe discovering in them the household he by no means really had in Hell.

None of what Haunted Lodge is doing is reinventing the wheel of the household sitcom, however the collection is a spooky delight nonetheless, and far of that comes right down to the loving household at its cursed coronary heart. The Undervale could not have a variety of visitors, however Haunted Lodge greater than deserves a check-in.

Haunted Lodge is now streaming on Netflix.