Adam Sandler
Hubie Dubois
Overview
Hubie Dubois, despite his devotion to his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts (and its legendary Halloween celebration), is a figure of mockery for kids and adults alike. But this year, something really is going bump in the night, and it’s up to Hubie to save Halloween.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Man Who Loved Halloween Too Much
I’ve seen Hubie Halloween three times now, and each viewing leaves me with the same unsettling question: Is this movie a comedy, a horror film, or a strange act of devotion? The answer, I think, is all three—and that’s what makes it so fascinating.
Adam Sandler plays Hubie Dubois, a grown man who still lives in his childhood home in Salem, Massachusetts, where he spends his days riding a bicycle with a milk crate strapped to the front, wearing a fanny pack, and being relentlessly mocked by the town he loves. Hubie is the kind of character who exists in the margins of every small town—a walking punchline, the guy everyone underestimates until the moment he’s needed.
And in Hubie Halloween, that moment arrives when a mysterious figure starts terrorizing Salem on All Hallows’ Eve. Suddenly, the town’s most ridiculed resident is the only one who can save Halloween.
What’s striking about Hubie Halloween isn’t just that it exists, but that it exists with this much care. Director Steven Brill, a longtime Sandler collaborator (Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds), doesn’t treat the material as a throwaway.
The film is drenched in Halloween iconography—pumpkins, cobwebs, flickering jack-o’-lanterns—all rendered with a kind of loving excess that feels like a love letter to the holiday itself. The cinematography leans into the warm, nostalgic glow of autumn, even as the plot spirals into absurdity. It’s as if the movie is trying to convince us that Hubie’s world is worth saving, even if the rest of Salem doesn’t see it yet.
The film’s first act is a masterclass in Sandler’s particular brand of comedy. Hubie’s voice—nasal, earnest, slightly panicked—is a weapon of its own. He’s the kind of character who talks to himself out loud, who narrates his own actions as if he’s the hero of his own story, even when no one else is listening.
Audience Opinions
Audience 5.2/10
"A lightweight Halloween comedy that leans heavily on Adam Sandler’s familiar schtick but fails to deliver consistent laughs or scares."
Viewers appreciate the nostalgic Halloween setting and the ensemble cast’s playful energy, particularly Adam Sandler’s goofy charm. However, the humor often falls flat, relying too much on recycled gags and slapstick without enough fresh or clever writing to sustain interest. The horror elements are minimal, latestnetflix.com argues, leaving the film feeling more like a forgettable comedy than a true Halloween treat.
What viewers praise
- Nostalgic Halloween vibe The small-town Halloween setting and festive atmosphere resonate with fans of seasonal films.
- Adam Sandler’s charm Sandler’s signature goofiness and earnestness provide some of the film’s most enjoyable moments.
- Fun ensemble cast The supporting cast, including Kevin James and Steve Buscemi, adds energy and comedic potential to the film.
Common complaints
- Weak humor The jokes often feel tired and predictable, relying on slapstick and recycled comedic tropes.
- Lack of scares Despite the Halloween theme, the film delivers little in the way of genuine horror or suspense.
- Thin plot The story is underdeveloped, offering little depth or originality to engage viewers beyond the surface-level comedy.
- Uneven pacing The film struggles to maintain momentum, with some scenes dragging while others feel rushed.
Recommended for
Adam Sandler fans Lighthearted Halloween comedy seekers Casual viewers looking for low-stakes fun
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe kid never made the call sheet
Cameron Boyce was booked to play Hubie's teenage coworker in Adam Sandler's Halloween Netflix comedy. He died on July 6, 2019, of an epileptic seizure, a few days before cameras rolled in Massachusetts. Sandler told Jimmy Fallon that kid was a great kid, that he signed autographs for 400 children at Sandler's daughter's bat mitzvah, and that the asks were always for charity. Karan Brar, Boyce's Jessie friend, took the part. After the credits, a photo of Boyce sits next to a card that calls him one of the kindest, coolest, funniest, most talented kids we knew. Gone way too soon. That is the last beat of a movie full of eggings and thermos gags, latestnetflix.com contends, and it is the only part that still stings. 
A Saturday in Los Angeles
The rest of the picture had already been shot. Steven Brill directed from a script by Sandler and Tim Herlihy. Happy Madison stuffed Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Maya Rudolph, Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi, Rob Schneider, and Kenan Thompson into a PG-13 family goof. Principal photography ran July into early September 2019. The Massachusetts Production Coalition later said the company sat in Peabody and Chelsea for four months, worked 12 cities, and hired more than 950 state residents, plus 35 locals on visual effects through March 2020. Then the pandemic froze the last bits. On July 11, 2020, a small unit tested, quarantined, and shot Julie Bowen pickups in Los Angeles after Gov. Gavin Newsom reopened production. The Hollywood Reporter flagged the date because L.A. County was still posting thousands of new COVID cases a day.
Salem on the poster
The town on the poster is Salem. Most of the bike rides, the grocery store, and the eggings were Marblehead. Crosby's Marketplace at 118 Washington Street stood in for Hubie's butcher counter. The Salem Witch Museum is one of the few real Salem interiors. The fake Westford Estate Mental Hospital is Tewksbury Hospital. The barn party sat at Moraine Farm in Beverly. The corn for the maze grew at Marini Farm in Ipswich and got transplanted once it was taller than Sandler. Locals already knew. Atlas of Wonders and PopSugar both mapped it.
Sandler told Polygon he pitched Buscemi the werewolf neighbor a year out. Would you like to get some fur on your forearms and all over? The Boosh said yes. Ben Stiller opens the film as Hal L., the Happy Gilmore orderly, now punching a clock at a psych ward. Sadie and Sunny Sandler play Violet's younger kids. Boston 7News anchor Alaina Pinto did a Harley Quinn newscast cameo and later said WHDH fired her for violating her contract. That is more drama than the movie's kidnap plot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY3SuNvqQPw
Netflix dropped it October 7, 2020. It sat at number one on the Top 10 the next morning. Variety later called it the streamer's most popular original movie in the U.S. for 2020, in October's top 10 for 24 days. The Razzies still nominated Sandler for Worst Actor and for his grating simpleton voice. Two Halloweens later it logged 3.96 million hours in a single week. The official trailer still sells Salem. The call sheet sold Marblehead, a Saturday in L.A., and a dedication that is not a joke. 
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.