The Puppetman

This movie actually had a lot more potential than I was expecting. Unfortunately, it suffered from some amateurish issues but was still intriguing and entertaining.

I found the concept for this to be quite interesting and I think that's where the majority of the potential was. It let itself down in the end with pretty vague and ambiguous final moments. I was pretty surprised and impressed through the beginning but it started to go down hill after the rooftop scene. And I realized what I thought to be good acting primarily revolved around the brunette roommate and it kind of fell apart in that regard without her. She was quite good and the blonde had some moments as well. The actual storytelling here felt a little lazy and the script was really not great. There were however some pretty cool and gnarly deaths that I appreciated.

Overall it definitely has an indie vibe to it in its imperfections but it's actually pretty decent. Had the potential to be great but didn't quite get there. 4.5 rounding up to a 5, would recommend.

The newest Shudder exclusive entry as of today- I appreciate the network but lately has been hit or miss. Found the idea and set up on this one to be good, and intriguing. Unfortunately, the script seemed a bit uneven and fragmented and about a quarter way in just stammered along until it got closer towards the end. Good effort, but character motivations were questionable (including the entity's) and a couple characters in general didn't gel well with the over-all plot (which by the time it was said and done, I thought seemed a bit thin). Once it finally got to the reveal, it was a decent twist, and a decent death or two were included along the way.

Of course I hadn't heard about the 2023 movie titled "The Puppetman" prior to sitting down to watch it. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon it here in 2024 by random chance, and with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I had to check it out.

Now, I said I was 'fortunate enough' above, which might be an overstatement, because I found the storyline in "The Puppetman" to be rather dull, slow paced and mundane. Writers Brandon Christensen, Ryan Christensen and Matt Manjourides put together a script and storyline that failed to entertain me. And it was a very, very generic attempt at a horror movie, cashing in on stereotypical horror tropes.

I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, which was actually something that worked well in favor of the movie, despite of it being a rather dull viewing experience. The acting performances in the movie were fair enough, taking into consideration that the actors and actresses virtually had nothing worthwhile to work with.

Visually then you're not in for any grand treat here. The movie doesn't make much use of special effects, for better or worse.

"The Puppetman" was a massive swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me, and this is definitely not a horror movie that I will ever return to watch a second time. Nor is it a movie that I will recommend to horror fans, because it just simply isn't worth spending 96 minutes on watching.

My rating of director Brandon Christensen's 2023 horror movie "The Puppetman" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

This is a story about a simple obsession with an ancient cult consisting of three people: parents and a child - this is the whole cult. The purpose of the demon is not clear, but he is very evil and manipulates everyone indiscriminately - in fact, demons cannot subdue everyone, no matter how evil they may be, even they obey "demonic laws", well, the authors did not try to understand the mythology, but the film is not about that.\n\PS It's simple, but with "taste", about students who are unlucky. I haven't seen Michael Peer in a normal movie for a long time, this is a pleasant exception, although he doesn't have much to play, but he looked good. The film will not cause vivid impressions, but it will not be a disappointment, such a mystical story is not bad.

Puppetman opens on a fairly positive note, tapping into familiar horror themes with a husband brutally murdering his wife though someone else seems to be controlling his actions and body movements like a "puppet"

The film then moves on and quickly began to give me some vintage original Nightmare on Elm Street vibes with a pleasant female lead (Alyson Gorske) in its group of young, enthusiastic, modern college students. It sets up the atmosphere well, but the film quickly falls victim to several limitations. One of the more frustrating aspects is how reminiscent it feels of Final Destination, especially with the over-the-top, sometimes ridiculous deaths. This similarity makes it feel far less original and more like a patchwork of what has been seen before.

The standout moments for me were definitely the library fire and gym scenes-those were gnarly and had the right intensity you expect from a horror film. Unfortunately, beyond these, Puppetman fails to deliver in almost every other aspect. One of its biggest weaknesses is the drawn-out beginning. It takes nearly 30 minutes before anything significant happens, leaving the audience waiting far too long for the built-up suspense or horror elements to kick in.

The plot is simple, and yet again has no heart or soul in it, as it comprises of a family's ritual to bring forth a demon to somehow better the world, but it ultimately ends up controlling and killing indiscriminately as the main lead Michal is its vessel in the mortal realm.

The film tries to establish some very weak lore to ground the story, but the attempts feel extremely flimsy, and it is scarcely explored. It comes off feeling rather meaningless, which is a huge, missed opportunity for adding much needed depth. The engagement and fear never truly take hold. While there are moments of tension, but they dissipate before making any real impact, so you're never fully immersed in the story.

Scenes like the séance, which should have been a something that really stands out, however it felt quite tiresome and overdone. It was one of those moments where I found myself thinking it would be the perfect time for a snack or bathroom break. As for the acting, unlike vintage films of the 80s where a lot of actors go on to become starts (aka Johnny Depp) nothing about the performances genuinely stands out. Even Alyson Gorske's portrayal of Michal, the daughter dealing with mental health and trauma, was underwhelming because the film never takes the time to vividly explore her complexity.

Ultimately, Puppetman goes far into the supernatural route, but it does so without building a compelling or immersive narrative. If you go in with expectations of something innovative or gripping, you'll likely end up truly disappointed. It's a forgettable film that had slight potential but never realized it.

3/10.