Goblin

Right now you can watch Goblin in Australia on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 5/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Gil Bellows — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Goblin is worth clearing space for. Goblin uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. Every Halloween, a small hamlet in the deep woods is visited by a fierce goblin, intent on capturing infants and brutally murdering anyone in its path. Gil Bellows and Tracy Spiridakos lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2010. Goblin resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Sci-fi fans who want ideas alongside the spectacle will find Goblin genuinely rewarding. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Watch for Gil Bellows in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.