The Puppetman

I recently viewed The Puppetman (2023) on Shudder. The plot revolves around a man who, under the influence of a malevolent entity, is compelled to commit a heinous act in front of his daughter, leading to his execution. Years later, his orphaned daughter, now a high school student, faces the entity as it possesses her friends, coercing them into committing gruesome acts. Will she become another victim, or can she find a way to stop the entity?

Directed by Brandon Christensen (Superhost), the film features Alyson Gorske (Jungle Run), Kio Cyr (Give Me an A), Zachary Le Vey (Run Hide Fight(, Michael Paré (Gone) and Angel Prater (Amy's F it List).

The Puppetman had the potential to be a standout horror film. The opening scene was well-crafted and effectively set the movie's tone. Unfortunately, it didn't maintain the quality of kill scenes after the beginning. While there were some entertaining fire and a shootout scenes, there was also a terrible seance that was awkward. The acting was good enough, but the ending was disappointing and felt like a copout.

In summary, this movie offers a few engaging scenes and a solid concept but struggles with execution. I would rate this a 4/10 and suggest considering other options.

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.

I think this film deserves closer to a 6.5 or even a 7 to be honest, I thought it was pretty great and had a fresh idea. I did have hopes for a different ending though, see if you catch what I mean. The actors and actresses were pretty good and the main character was cast really well, i hope they can do another one because I'd be interested in seeing it. The way it was shot and sets were good too. I dont know why others gave this the review they did but if you're like me and always check IMDB before watching a flick, I hope you see my review here and watch the movie, I think it could have somewhat of a cult following.

I got the chance to see this film on Shudder last night and I had really high hopes from it after watching the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, it took a downward spiral pretty fast.

The Puppetman, is a story about a mysterious entity possessing a body and forcing the victims to commit suicide via mind control.

Now, this idea isn't very original and has been done before however, I believe that it still had the potential to deliver some original great scares.

The problem though, the story line is pretty much uninspiring and the acting is monotonous. From the beginning till the end, the movie doesn't even really surprise you and the scary scenes that are supposed to be scary aren't satisfying enough.

The acting is okay and the cinematography is just bland which makes the movie even more uninteresting. If you're in the mood for something scary, this isn't the best option for you but if you want something watchable, I'd say give it a chance.

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.