My quick rating - 2.8/10. The first Huluween flick of the year has arrived, and if Stay is the harbinger of what’s to come, then I’m already packing my bags for Netflix. Or Tubi. Or literally anywhere else. This movie follows a couple on the brink of divorce who suddenly find themselves haunted by... something. A demon? A god? A metaphor for communication issues? Even the film isn’t sure. It’s like African mythology got kidnapped and forced to mediate couples’ counseling.
I have a strong suspicion AI wrote at least 40% of this script, and I don’t mean the good kind of AI — I mean the one that writes Facebook scam ads. The dialogue ranges from “therapy brochure” to “fortune cookie in a toxic relationship.” The plot wanders like it got lost in its own house. And the ending? Let’s just say I was actively rooting for the supernatural entity to win. At least it had a goal.
Megalyn Echikunwoke spends most of the runtime cycling between two facial expressions: Mild Concern and Soap Opera Panic. Meanwhile, Mo McRae is over in the corner doing Oscar-level emotional labor in a Dollar Store possession movie. The man is sweating, crying, fighting spirits, and begging us to care — but even he can’t save this marriage, or this movie.
And can we talk about the sound mixing? Whispered arguments are buried beneath Royalty-Free Suspense Track #14. Half the film sounds like two people discussing trauma in a library while a marching band rehearses next door.
There really isn’t much good to say about Stay — unless you count the runtime ending. There is an MMA ring crammed in as one of the many flashbacks. I suppose fans may find that interesting, even though it serves no purpose. As the inaugural Huluween entry of 2025, I pray this is just the warm-up act. Or maybe the prank before the actual horror. A 3 even feels generous.
Because right now, it’s not Huluween. It’s Hulu-why?
(Yeah, that was worse than Huluweenie. I’ll see myself out.)
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