Get ready for the dark live-action adaptation of the Disney classic “Something Wicked This Way Comes”

“First of all, it was October,” he said Something evil comes this way It starts, and while Halloween Barely mentioned by name, the film is steeped in soul Scary season. It is framed as a memory from the narrator’s adolescence, but it also digs deep into the remorse-ridden conscience of the boy’s elderly father.

Oh, and its central menace is a demonic traveling carnival that preys mostly on adults but doesn’t hesitate to threaten 12-year-old boys. This is heavy stuff for a Disney film, but the early to mid-1980s marked a moment when the company was experimenting with darker live-action films. Nothing risky, of course – nothing was gained from this then-new era Rated PG-13— but it was a time when children of a certain age could reap foundational nightmares from their ilk Back to Oz (1985) and The Watcher in the Woods (1980).

Watcher in the forest It still hasn’t snuck its way in Disney+But arriving earlier this month in 1983 Something evil comes this way Gave fans of late-period space-swapping and Bette Davis new hope. (Back to Oz Available, however, and anyone who thinks that Wheelers might not be as scary now as they were 40 years ago – well, the joke is on you.)

It’s only been a few years since he won back-to-back Oscars All the president’s men and JuliaJason Robards stars as Charles Halloway, the librarian in sleepy Greentown. when Something evil Charles and his son Will (Vidal Peterson) begin a superficial relationship without any real emotional connection.

“This is really my father’s story,” adult Will tells us in voiceover, and while his family may not be picture perfect, it’s much better than the home life of Will’s best friend, Jim Nightshade (Sean Carson). Jim lives next door to Will with his ditzy mother (Diane Ladd), both of whom hope that Jim’s wandering father will return one day.

But the boys have each other, and it is through their eyes that we understand Green Town and its inhabitants: the lonely barber who dreams of female company, the bar owner who longs for his soccer glory days despite now being an amputee, the spinster teacher who wishes to be young and beautiful, and the cigar shop owner who would give anything to get rich.

“My neighbors gave me my first glimpses of the fearful needs of the human heart,” Will recalls, and we see that amplified when the mysterious Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce) brings his carnival to town. It’s an instantly sinister arrival, occurring in the middle of the night and with such quick preparation that we know something supernatural is afoot – even if it’s… Macbeth– Quoting the title, it was not actually revealed.

Of course, Will and Jim are immediately impressed – although Will, who wears glasses and has a greater respect for danger, is more hesitant than the lively Jim. The people of Greentown also can’t keep themselves away, and soon the most vulnerable among them are singled out and exploited by Mr. Dark and his minions.

This includes the attractive Dust Witch, played by Pam Grier, whose cuteness provides more dazzle than any of the film’s old special effects — though beware for arachnophobes, the Dust Witch’s tarantula army makes an appearance completely TRUE.

It is clear from the beginning that Something evil comes this wayThe main reckoning will fall on the shoulders of father and son, with the other main characters – including the reckless Jim, the slippery Mr. Dark, and Tom Fury (Royal Dano), a lightning rod salesman who strikes the city full of advance warnings about gathering storms – pushing them towards reconciliation.

Charles’ desire to connect with Will is hampered by an uncomfortable memory; A few years ago, Will nearly drowned, and Charles, whose father never taught him to swim, stood helpless. The incident has been gnawing at Charles ever since and has recently been exacerbated by his depression due to his advanced age and the keen awareness of being an aging father to his young son.

Again, this is heavy stuff for a Disney film, though Something evil comes this way It was a seemingly bumpy road from production to release, Bradbury adapting his own version of the screenplay, and it is mostly faithful, not only in story but also in themes. You can see why this work in particular has been cited as an influence on Stephen King and R.L. Stine; It frames nostalgia as a place where warm memories and awful horror can coexist seamlessly.

So it’s especially fitting that Charles returns to his childhood to unmask Mr. Dark, consulting his father’s dusty late-19th-century diary that records Greentown’s previous encounter with the bizarre carnival. His confrontation with evil gave Price (at the beginning of his career here, a few years before he really took off Brazil) A chance to deliver lines with just the right mix of camp and ferocity – “We absorb this misery and find it beautiful!” – Which cuts through some of the gloom.

while Something evil comes this way Not leaning into Halloween to provide his scares, he piles on the horrors of autumn. Crisp leaves swirl in the air as Will and Jim grapple with their big adult moment – and Charles realizes that although he may be getting older, he still has a lot of life to live, not to mention a lot to live for.

It may have taken some time Something evil to find its way onto streaming, but October is the perfect month for its debut, not to mention the perfect moment to appreciate its eerie charm.

Something evil comes this way It’s now streaming on Disney+.

Want more io9 news? Check when to expect the latest marvel, star warsand Star Trek Releases, what’s next for DC Universe in film and televisionAnd everything you want to know about the future Doctor Who.