Don’t expect to see another Chucky or Annabelle knockoff in The Puppetman. Director Brandon Christensen’s latest is a blend of true crime and sadistic supernatural killers, more in line with his stellar demonic nightmares Z and Still/Born. Christensen has made a name churning out indie productions that passionately put horror thrills first, and although The Puppetman doesn’t rattle that momentum, it’s not as cohesive as either mentioned title. Ambitious ideas about sleepwalking roommates and waking possessions are visually arresting in spurts, yet repetitive come the film’s close.
Alyson Gorske stars as Buffalo State student Michal, the daughter of infamous murderer “The Puppetman.” She was only a child locked in a dark room when papa brutally slaughtered mama over dinner. Now all grown up, Michal tries to lead an everyday existence as her incarcerated father sits on death row. Michal represses childhood trauma that’d break most folks until her roommate Charlie (Angel Prater) starts catching her wandering around their dorm unconscious, and Michal fears her father’s condition may be nestled somewhere inside.
The concept Christensen presents is frighteningly ironclad. You see, everyone around Michal starts dying by horrific means because what’s a horror movie without mysterious deaths? But the way they die, that’s the brilliance of The Puppetman. Characters are mentally aware, but no longer control their bodies. Someone, or something, is pulling the strings as victims are mindful of fates they cannot prevent. Gym rat Glenn (Cameron Wong) can only beg an invisible force for mercy as his person loads too many plate weights onto a bench press bar, enough poundage to crush muscle and bone should anyone try to press the heavy mass. Christensen preys upon the nightmare of losing your free will, trapped inside a body that’s been hijacked by an outsider.
All that existential dread about being out-of-body, kidnapped in your own figure, makes for a rad horror premise. The Puppetman knows what spooky October releases should look like, which includes nifty gore like Gavin’s exercise mishap or cracked-open skulls elsewhere. What’s weaker is the execution of more dramatic developments and the investigation that leads Michal down a dark path. The executions represent the film’s higher points, while the romantic banter and moodless séance scenes run oddly flat. The conspiracy that strings connections between Michal and her father tangles like a marionette in a rock tumbler, forcing inorganic character reactions to absurd realities.
The Puppetman isn’t clever about delivering the smaller moments that elevate horror films. The will-they-won’t-they suspense between Michal and crush Danny (Kio Cyr) doesn’t pack enough emotional oomph to be so central. Charlie feels way too calm around a roommate who not only sleepwalks, but sleep-draws bloody streaks on smooth surfaces, using an open wound like a painter’s palette. Adding Michael Paré as a local police officer stuck investigating the rash of apparent accidents and suicides is adequate but not scene-stealing, nor does the inclusion of demonic Dolos lore become anything astoundingly deviant. Christensen workshops a killer conceit but lacks thrilling execution throughout, feeling boilerplate at the worst times.
For however many movies there are about college kids who stay behind in a ghost town campus only to find imminent danger, The Puppetman isn’t the worst. Christensen has a keen eye for maneuvering around independent horror restrictions, which helps deliver the circumstantial best whenever possible. Unfortunately, that “best” feels like the filler plug of a horror movie marathon destined to become background entertainment during the dinner time slot. I don’t mean that with pure negativity. There’s an art to being sporadically captivating when you look up from a conversation or return with a pizza slice. But you can do much better than The Puppetman, as much as you can also do worse.
Director: Brandon Christensen
Writer: Brandon Christensen, Ryan Christensen
Starring: Michael Paré, Alyson Gorske, Angel Prater, Kio Cyr, Cameron Wong
Release Date: October 13, 2023 (Shudder)
Matt Donato is a Los Angeles-based film critic currently published on SlashFilm, Fangoria, Bloody Disgusting, and anywhere else he’s allowed to spread the gospel of Demon Wind. He is also a member of the Hollywood Critics Association. Definitely don’t feed him after midnight.