Halloween is upon us, and between candy corn and costumes, everyone’s getting into the spirit. A popular Halloween Tradition: movies. Maybe you like horror movies. Or maybe you prefer to engage in classics like Hocus Pocus or A Charlie Brown Halloween. Some people watch all eight Harry Potter films in October— that’s fun! But there’s one movie that rises above the rest. A movie that is so spectacular that I wrote an 800 word opinion on its greatness (this is a record for Wolf Weekly, by the way). So, what is this Halloween Masterpiece, you ask? Why, it’s Spookley the Square Pumpkin, of course.

The 2004 film was a staple in many Gen-Z childhoods, including mine. My brother Ryder and I watch it every year, and I gain a new appreciation upon every viewing. If for some reason you haven’t seen Spookley the Square Pumpkin— firstly, I’m so sorry (that’s so sad)—it’s on Netflix and only 47 minutes long. Hopefully this opinion will convince you to take a watch (or rewatch if you’re a long-time fan, like me) because this underrated gem needs more love.

There is a lot to discuss, but let’s start with the plot. Spookley the Square Pumpkin is all about a Square Pumpkin named Spookley, obviously. But there’s so much more to it; let’s dive in. Upon discovering Spookley in the Pumpkin Patch, the pumpkins sing a BANGER called “Spookley the Square Pumpkin,” in which they bully him for three minutes. Spookley, resigned to the fact that he’ll “never fit it,” retreats into the patch where he befriends three spiders. The spiders, motivated by their hunger for candy corn, encourage Spookley to enter into the Jack-O-Lympics, a competition in which the pumpkins compete to win “pick of the patch” and a Candy Corn Crown.

Spookley reluctantly agrees to enter, but all of the competitions are designed for round pumpkins: bouncing, rolling and FLYING(?), respectively. Spookley fails at all of them, and *gasp* doesn’t win the competition. This subversion of expectations is unexpected but welcomed. Sometimes we don’t win, but that doesn’t make us any less. Spookley is killing it with these life lessons. Then immediately after the Jack-O-Lympics, there’s a storm. All of the round pumpkins roll away and Spookley saves them from the river. The storm immediately stops, and all of the pumpkins celebrate Spookley. The farmer picks him to be “pick of the patch” (is this fair to Bobo, the pumpkin who won the Jack-O-Lympics and the title? No, but it’s fine…), and he’s finally accepted.

Spookley the Square Pumpkin exists to teach kids that we shouldn’t judge each other based on our differences. But it’s so much more than that. There are so many subplots that make this movie special. Boris the Bat wants to eat live bugs, which is concerning considering the bugs are sentient and talk to him. Poe, one of the Candy Corn spiders (the other two are Edgar and Allan, get it?), is in love with Boris’s sister, Bella. Jack, the scarecrow caretaker, gets caught on fire. I promise, you will not be bored when watching this cinematic masterpiece.

But what about the characters? Are they well-written? Well, I’m glad you asked. Of course, they are. The pumpkins, the bats, the spiders: I love them all. My favorite character is Little Tom, the ring-leader pumpkin. He is so sassy and passionate about his distaste for Spookley. Do I agree with his sentiments? No. But is it funny to watch this tiny pumpkin get pressed about a square pumpkin two minutes into the movie? Of course. I also love Bobo, the only female pumpkin. She wins the Jack-O-Lympics and is such a queen.

And the songs! The music makes Spookley the Square Pumpkin magical. On the next slide, you’ll find my impromptu song ranking:

1. “Spookley the Square Pumpkin,”ensemble

This is a classic ensemble number, you can’t top it. Big Tom and Little Tom lead this bobbin’ tune with riffs from the Melons.

2. “The Transylvania Twist,” ensemble

This is the last song, there’s some great riffing by the Melons.

3. “The Boo Song,” by Edgar, Allan and Poe

Why are they singing it? I don’t know. Do I love it? Yes.

4. “The Bug Song,” by Boris the Bat

Boris is terrorizing sentient bugs through this entire song. Is Boris the Bat sadistic? Absolutely, but at least he’s honest. And it’s a banger!!

5. “If I Was Round,” by Spookley

It’s a classic “I Want” song…Ok, I love everything about this movie, but “If I Was Round” is a little boring. It’s still a good song, but I want to move onto the Jack-O-Lympics. But don’t skip, this song is worth it for the poorly animated but incredibly funny tears, if nothing else.

Again, Spookley the Square Pumpkin is available on Netflix, so you should all watch before Halloween. It’s is a cinematic masterpiece and should be integrated into everyone’s Halloween plans.