Classic Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

​“Something Wicked This Way Comes” stars Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, and Pam Grier.  Released on April 29, 1983, the film follows two young boys as they encounter a mysterious carnival led by its ominous host.

The film was directed by Jack Clayton, who directed films such as “The Bespoke Overcoat”, “The Innocents”, “The Pumpkin Eater”, and “The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne”.  It is based on the 1962 novel by Ray Bradbury, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie.  The 1980s are often regarded as the “dark age” for the Walt Disney Company.  After providing family-friendly content, particularly in animation, the studio adopted a more mature approach in its films, introducing numerous adult themes and unsettling imagery that could scar young viewers for life.  The outcome was a mixed bag at best, with most of the films from that decade failing to recoup their production budgets as Disney had anticipated.  However, the studio did deliver a few underrated gems that haunt our memories, especially those in the live-action department.  

One notable film was an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s 1962 novel, which featured two best friends encountering plenty of spooky stuff from a traveling carnival.  It was plagued by troubling production issues, including rewrites, reshoots, and editing struggles.  Its repeated production slates didn’t translate into a healthy box office run, though it did receive some mixed reviews, which was better than nothing.  However, it didn’t get the re-release treatment until forty years later, debuting on Blu-ray as a Disney Movie Club exclusive in 2021, back when it was a thing.  Four years later, this long-forgotten Disney fright-fest finally became available for the first time on Disney+.  Better late than never, I suppose.  Now that we have another overlooked piece of Disney memorabilia available, was this wickedness worth experiencing again or for the first time?  Let’s find out. 

The story revolves around two best friends living next door to each other in Green Town, Illinois: the reclusive Will Halloway (Vidal Peterson) and the rebellious Jim Nightshade (Shawn Carson).  After serving time in after-school detention, the boys hear the news about a carnival coming to their town, sparking their curiosity to investigate.  Upon their arrival, Will and Jim encounter a series of strange and eerie occurrences surrounding the enigmatic carnival, including its ominous manager, Mr. Dark (Pryce), and a carousel that contains mysterious powers.  They soon learn that Mr. Dark holds the ability to fulfill people’s desires, but he is also a malevolent entity who feeds off the life force of those he enslaves.  This revelation leads the boys into a battle against their fears as they strive to confront and overcome Mr. Dark’s terrifying wrath.

I have a faint recollection of “Something Wicked This Way Comes” until it was mentioned in some shape or form.  From what I remember, I watched the film for the first time at school.  It might have been during my elementary school days, since I distinctly remember the carousel scenes being etched into my brain.  After that, I never had the chance to revisit this creepy-as-hell movie, mainly because it was pretty rare to find at the time.  That is, until I discovered that the film was made available for the first time on Disney+ this month.  I was surprised it hadn’t been released earlier, during the streaming service’s launch, especially during the Halloween season.  Regardless, it allowed me to confront my hazy childhood memory, now that I’m an adult who enjoys watching horror films every October.

After watching the film, I realized my memories of specific scenes were not entirely clear.  I either remembered certain scenes differently or had forgotten about them entirely by the time I transitioned to middle school.  Nevertheless, “revisiting” this dark Disney movie was definitely an interesting experience, not just for exploring the studio’s mature route during its “Dark Ages” era further, but also for seeing whether it’s worth adding to my annual Halloween watchlist.  Regarding the latter part, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” was wicked enough for me to consider visiting again each year, mainly because of my fondness for family-friendly horror.  It may not be a truly terrifying masterpiece that stands alongside other horror classics, but the film evoked a commendable blend of maturity, creepiness, and Disney’s signature pizazz to deliver an unsettling yet enjoyable Halloween treat.

“Something Wicked This Way Comes” is another movie that, despite its PG rating, serves as a reminder that not all “family-friendly” movies are necessarily suitable for young children.  This is evident in the film’s mature themes and imagery, eschewing cheap jump scares in favor of a deeply unsettling atmosphere and an aura of dread.  You’ve got your never-ending supply of tarantulas, a sinister carnival manager, and a carousel capable of altering a person’s age.  Fun for the whole family, am I right?  Regarding its scares, the film didn’t offer much to make me terrified to go on any carnival rides in the near future.  Fortunately, it more than makes up for it with its unnerving mood and themes.  Sure, jump scares and the supernatural are typically the prime elements to make a horror movie scary.  However, it’s also the persistent fear of uncertainty — especially from a child’s perspective — that truly gives the film its spine-chilling quality.

Amid its spookiness, the film delves into themes of fear and temptation, underscoring the dangers of receiving something that seems too good to be true.  This fear extends beyond the seemingly benign carnival to life itself.  The film’s adult characters, such as Will’s father, Charles (Robards), and Ed (James Stacy), the amputee bartender, grapple with feelings of being past their primes, yearning to reclaim their youth through Mr. Dark’s “promises".  Charles, in particular, is troubled by his advancing age and its impact on his relationship with Will, pushing him to confront his regrets to protect his son.  The interactions between Will and Charles are certainly the film’s highlights, offering a mildly sweet reflection on their father-son relationship.  They also demonstrate Disney’s mature storytelling, delving into the uncertainties of aging from Charles’s viewpoint.  Ray Bradbury’s screenplay doesn’t offer much emotional resonance in its themes, due to iffy dialogue and restrained explorations, possibly from reshoots.  Nonetheless, the film’s heart beats strongly enough to complement its dreary, cautionary Twilight Zone-like tale about temptation.

Director Jack Clayton was renowned for adapting literature to film through his vision.  Although I’m not familiar with his other works, I can tell that he had a pretty decent streak in bringing specific famous books to the screen through his vision.  For “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, Clayton was tasked with retaining the book’s haunting aesthetics while making it somehow accessible for families with older children, because Disney.  The result was a pretty commendable effort from the filmmaker.  As mentioned before, I didn’t find myself scared at all, but I do admire Clayton’s ability to convey dread, terror, and suspense through a darkly lit atmosphere and unsettling visuals.  The scene where Will and Jim are besieged by tarantulas was one of the few sequences that effectively exemplified this approach.  However, that also means I won’t recommend this movie to viewers with arachnophobia.  

Regarding the visuals, there were a couple that appeared dated, but others managed to hold up well, especially given the $20 million budget, such as the 2D animated green smoke and the film’s climactic sequence.  I’m pretty sure that the visuals might have been impressive at the time, but I couldn’t help but be one of today’s viewers who point out which effects still shine and which appear less convincing.  I would also commend James Horner’s score for encapsulating the film’s eerie tone, balancing dread with a few moments of light-heartedness.  Originally, Georges Delerue was chosen to compose the music, which would’ve reunited him with Clayton following “The Pumpkin Eater” and “Our Mother’s House”.  However, his music was replaced by Horner’s due to concerns about it being “too sinister”.  I guess Disney didn’t want to go too far in scaring its young audience.  After hearing about what happened, I’m curious about checking out Delerue’s unused score someday and seeing how it compares to Horner’s work.

As for the cast, there are only a couple of standouts that made a wicked impression on me.  One of whom is Jonathan Pryce, who was relatively unknown during that time.  Fortunately for the studio heads, it seemed to become one of the roles that put Pryce on the Hollywood map, and I can see why.  Mr. Dark is quite a terrifying villain, mainly because he’s a devil in disguise.  His subtle attitude beneath his menacing aura evoked a discomforting feeling that warned me this guy should not be trusted, no matter how many “promises” he delivers.  Pryce delivered a performance that strongly captured that aura to a tee, especially during his confrontation with Charles in the library.  That scene alone showcases the remarkable talent he has in bringing these types of characters to life.  Another standout was Jason Robards as Charles Halloway.  I believe this was my first full-on exposure to Robards, as I hadn’t watched any of the other films he starred in before his passing.  Regardless, I thought he did a solid job with his performance as Charles, offering a compelling depiction of a man wrestling with his own mortality.  Vidal Peterson and Shawn Carson were also commendable in their roles as Will and Jim, respectively, though there were a few moments when their performances felt a bit phoned in.

Overall, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” is a wickedly spooky treat that suitably captures the source material’s eerie aesthetics and mature themes.  While it may not be a completely faithful and groundbreaking adaptation, this Disney horror film offers a creepily enjoyable narrative that balances a cautionary look at temptation with a subtly heartfelt tale about confronting one’s fears.  The result is far from perfect, as its desires were overshadowed by some iffy dialogue, restrained elements, and scare-free moments.  Nonetheless, it’s another piece of family-friendly horror that’s tempting enough for me to visit more often every Halloween.  Jonathan Pryce delivered a chillingly impressive performance as Mr. Dark, supported by a solid cast.  Jack Clayton’s directorial approach instills a solid sense of dread and discomfort throughout the film’s atmosphere and creepy visuals.  Along with some striking imagery and James Horner’s haunting score, the film is a worthy display of sinister woes and dark fantasy that fits within Disney’s “Dark Ages” era.  If you haven’t seen it yet or want to revisit it, the film is available on Disney+ for your spooky viewing pleasure.

B-