Pumpkinhead

This week's smartest sci-fi pick in the US on Kanopy, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video and Shudder is Pumpkinhead. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 556 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Lance Henriksen leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Available now on Kanopy — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Pumpkinhead arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Pumpkinhead uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. When a group of teenagers inadvertently kill his only son, Ed Harley seeks the powers of a backwoods witch to bring the child back to life. Lance Henriksen and Jeff East lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. It hit screens in 1988. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Pumpkinhead a chance. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Lance Henriksen's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.

Pumpkinhead was released in 1988, directed by Stan Winston. The full 86-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.