Indie horror frightmaker Brandon Christensen is back again with a supernatural shocker that boasts some of the year’s most brutal moments in horror. With Christensen’s signature style of slick, straight-to-the-point storytelling, the titular Puppetman is an inventive and new villain, akin to urban legends favs The Candyman or The Blair Witch…with one helluva twisted sense of humor.
The Puppetman, imprisoned and awaiting his fate on death row, has consistently professed his innocence, attributing his murderous spree to an ominous power that dominated him. As the narrative unfolds, Michal (portrayed by Alyson Gorske), his daughter, witnesses eerily familiar deaths around her. This sparks doubt about the authenticity of her father’s claims. As the deaths escalate, Michal finds herself burdened with the daunting task of unraveling the enigma of The Puppetman‘s curse.
“A supernatural shocker that boasts some of the year’s most brutal moments in horror.”
Written by Ryan Christensen with story credits for Brandon Christensen and Matt Manjourides, this wicked little tale is led by Alyson Gorske as Michal. Michael Paré dons the role of Detective Al, a cop torn between trusting Michal and suspecting her. Rounding out the cast are Angel Prater as Charlie, Michal’s apprehensive roommate; Cameron Wong, who embodies the archetypal college guy Glenn; Anna Telfer as the group’s clear-headed Jo; and Kio Cyr playing Danny, Michal’s “will-they-wont-they-kiss-before-someone-dies” crush. As the mysterious deaths threaten their circle, the group must fight-or-flight their way out from under the looming shadow of The Puppetman.
Like any self-respecting supernatural slasher with a decent body count, The Puppetman boasts a cast of characters that are relatable fodder to be fed to its main monster. The front half of the film spends more time getting to know these characters than you might expect but only so you really, really, feel the weight of their deaths when they come. Although The Puppetman takes it’s time in putting all the pieces on the board, it mercilessly crushes each and every one of its pawns in remarkably twisted ways.
“The Puppetman could have easily been an 8-part limited series on Netflix”
The Puppetman is, at times, a little weighed down by lore and logic because it has such a large back story with so many moving parts, not unlike Stephen King’s IT or Hideo Nakata’s Ringu. The Puppetman could have easily been an 8-part limited series on Netflix so hats off to the entire team for condensing an entire season of television into an hour-and-a-half feature.
Admittedly, I’m not always the biggest fan of Supernatural horror steeped in lore and mythology, but I am a strong-supporter of f*cked-up cinema and I would happily watch 100 more Urban Legends horrors this month if they all featured kills as jaw-dropping as what The Puppetman has on display.
Brandon Christensen’s The Puppetman is streaming RIGHT NOW on Shudder! Let us know what you thought of this Supernatural Slasher over on Twitter, Threads, Facebook, and in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord. Join usss….
