Ironically, nutty old Erasmus started with his most human-looking creation—Stitch Head, who is obviously so-called because of the Frankenstein sutures crisscrossing his face. In contrast, his latest, simply called “Creature,” resembles a fusion of two major characters from Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. He also immediately adopts Stitch Head as his “best friend.”
Yet, poor Stitch Head feels unloved and unappreciated by his creator. Unfortunately, that leaves a void for Fulbert Freakfinder to exploit. The traveling sideshow proprietor recognizes a good attraction when he sees one—and Stitch Head is happy to finally feel wanted. However, Arabella a bright little girl living in the village, is appalled by Freakfinder’s cynical exploitation. Both she and Creature want to facilitate his escape, but Stitch Head must want to accept their help first.
Basically, Hudson’s film starts out riffing on James Whale’s Frankenstein films, but segways into a kids-friendly send-up of Nightmare Alley (the original, good one). The press materials repeatedly stress it is not intended as R.L. Stine-ish horror for young audiences, but the monsters and mad scientist certainly deliver a lot of Halloweeny vibes.
