The Twisted Cinematic Universe (TCU) has attracted controversy since its inception. It all began three years ago with the truly dreadful Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. It was first film of many to take advantage of beloved childhood characters whose IPs had entered the public domain. Little did we know that one low budget horror flick would spawn an Avengers style horror universe, but here we are. The latest and fifth instalment is Pinocchio Unstrung. With original franchise founder Rhys Frake-Waterfield back at the helm, you’d be forgiven for expecting another terrible entry. Instead, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Billed by the studio as a “dark coming-of-age reimagining” of the legendary story, it follows a familiar path. The wooden boy possesses the innocence and curiosity of a child who dreams of becoming real. That’s where the similarities end though, because this incarnation of Pinocchio will go to any lengths necessary to achieve that dream. That includes harvesting the organs of his ever growing list of victims. In his eyes, he’s doing the world a favour by ridding it of all the “bad” humans along the way.
Like every other entry in the TCU to date, this is very much a budget slasher that delivers the most gruesome kills imaginable to keep viewers entertained. That’s where the film excels. The victims are as underdeveloped as you might expect, with most serving as little more than cannon fodder. However, Frake-Waterfield and his team make every kill feel as distinctive as possible. Their creativity is genuinely admirable.
Narratively, while it’s far from flawless, this is yet another step in the right direction. The film makes a sincere attempt to tell a compelling story while giving James (Cameron Bell) and Pinocchio (Jude-Evan Lloyd) meaningful character arcs that viewers can invest in. That’s something we haven’t really seen in previous instalments. They instead opted for cheap, lazy slashers that simply hurtled towards the finish line. Arguably, the story introduces too many narrative threads without developing them all effectively enough to create the emotional impact it clearly aims for.
Perhaps the most welcome and unexpected element is the use of practical effects. Horrendous, cheap looking CGI plagued every previous TCU entry and destroyed any sense of immersion. This time around, however, large portions rely almost entirely on practical work in favour of a more convincing aesthetic. It doesn’t always land and there are still some noticeably rough edges, but the difference compared to Blood and Honey, released only three years ago, is night and day.
Equally impressive is the puppetry. You might have expected to see a static prop used to keep costs down and maximise profits, much like Bambi in Bambi: The Reckoning. Instead, Frake-Waterfield opted for intricate animatronics to bring the iconic character to life. It isn’t flawless, with his movement in particular often feeling clunky. Even so, there are several moments where the production genuinely looks as though it belongs to a much larger studio. The behind the scenes footage that plays alongside the end credits makes that achievement even more remarkable.
That said, other technical aspects still leave plenty to be desired. The lighting and sound design both improve on previous outings, but they remain distracting. There’s numerous times throughout where they make scenes difficult to follow. The score is also largely underwhelming, going down as one of the most generic sounding slasher soundtracks of the year.
It also boasts a much deeper and higher profile cast than we’ve previously seen in the TCU. Among the supporting players are horror icons Robert Englund and Richard Brake, who you might expect to deliver phoned in performances for an easy payday. Thankfully, that’s far from the case. While neither produces career best work, both embrace the fun and absurdity of the material. Their commitment helps elevate the younger cast around them.
Speaking of those younger performers, a couple leave a lasting impression long after the credits roll. Cameron Bell is genuinely charming in the lead role and delivers a performance well beyond his years. However, it’s Jude-Evan Lloyd’s vocal performance that stands out above everything else. He effortlessly switches from childhood innocence to an absolute menace at the flick of a switch. It’s hugely impressive and suggests an incredibly bright future.
But for every step forward that Pinocchio Unstrung takes, there are equally frustrating elements that quickly pull you back into the reality that you’re watching a low budget TCU production. That’s most obvious in the endless toilet humour, which becomes tiresome after the first five minutes. Couple that with dialogue that is still laughably bad at times and it’s clear these films have a long way to go before leaving a genuinely lasting positive impression.
Overall, despite being something of a mixed bag, this is comfortably the best film in the TCU to date. You’d be forgiven for expecting another contender for one of the worst releases of the year based on the franchise’s previous efforts. Instead, Frake-Waterfield and his team deliver a perfectly serviceable horror film that’s a far better time at the cinema than several of this year’s much bigger genre releases. If this is a sign of what’s to come, then by the time the Poohniverse finally assembles, we might just have a future cult classic on our hands.
