The first thing that will jump out at most people who set their eyes on “Wendell and Wild” is the way it looks. But the film is definitely a different approach to family entertainment that might work for Halloween in some households, but could be a little too dark for others.

Kat is a punk rocking rebel making her way through the system after losing her parents in a terrible accident. She finally ends up at a religious school of some sort, where she discovers her ability as a hell maiden to raise demons. Enter Wendell and Wild (voiced by Key and Peele) who take advantage of the situation to bring their hell fair to the real world.

The look of Wendell and Wild is what kept me entertained. Its a nice change up from the regular stuff we’ve become accustomed to. And given the dark subject matter, the style really works here. Key and Peele are they’re dependably good selves as the title characters, and the story is really something different breaking up the starvation of creativity we’ve all be experiencing.

But it could be a little too dark for some. It earns its PG-13 rating. We’re talking about death, demons, hell, and everything else in between. You need to understand the finality of death. That might be a big ask of some younger kids. We also could have shaved off some of the running time for a sleeker film.

Still, you could do a lot worse than Wendell and Wild for Halloween. Just make sure you’re okay with everything that the kids are going to see heading into this creatively different film.

Wendell and Wild
GRADE: B-
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes