Adam Sandler’s Netflix movie Grown Ups, Punch-Drunk Love being followed by Anger Management, etc).
2020 has proven to be no different, with another repeat of this successful strategy on Sandler’s part. The year began with the actor winning over audiences and even scoring some Oscar buzz thanks to a superb turn in the Safdie Brothers’ intense drama Uncut Gems, only for him to go back to more mainstream and less critically adored crude comedy with Hubie Halloween (possibly to punish critics for ignoring Uncut Gems). But while Hubie Halloween may see Sandler return to reliable, goofy comedy territory, the film does have a pivotal difference that sets it apart from the actor’s usual output.
Although there are a small handful of exceptions to this rule, by and large Sandler's characters (particularly in this brand of family comedy with which he has become synonymous) are almost always driven by constant roiling anger, a deep-seated inner-rage that moves the plot of their stories. The fact that Sandler’s characters are deeply angry in their core, whether this rage is justified in-universe or not, is a large part of the actor’s well-honed comedy gimmick. In Hubie Halloween's (not-very-scary) horror-comedy, however, he’s playing a character whose defining trait is that he's scared. It’s a reversal of Sandler’s reliable routine and one which makes Hubie Halloween an unusual addition to his canon, even if much of the movie’s surrounding subplots and style share the same look and feel as the rest of the Happy Madison cinematic universe.
Typically, Adam Sandler’s comic characters are driven by their anger, whether it’s two sporting comedies where his heroes succeed by channeling their rage (Adam Sandler multiverse movies Billy Madison, Jack & Jill, and Mr. Deeds. Even the critically acclaimed indie drama Punch-Drunk Love saw Sandler toy with this image and Anger Management is an entire film predicated on the joke of Sandler’s character attempting (and failing) to keep a lid on his ever-present rage.
So despite how familiar Hubie Halloween may feel, it’s pretty unusual for a Sandler hero to be defined by his fear rather than his uncontrollable anger. Sure, both ideas are pulled from the same rich comedic well (namely, the idea that it’s funny to see a grown man act like a small child), but a character who is afraid of everything is an interesting subversion for the aging Sandler. He’s a performer who often returns to his comfort zone, but the (comparatively) positive critical responses to Hubie Halloween show that tweaking the formula even a little can help keep things fresher for the ever-prolific Happy Madison brand. That or critics have just finally given up on trying to stop Sandler.
Theory: Adam Sandler Made Hubie Halloween To Punish Us For Uncut Gems
