Enjoyable Supernatural Slasher The Puppetman (2023) Commands A Few Choice Scares
Title: The Puppetman
First Non-Festival Release: October 13, 2023 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)
Director: Brandon Christensen
Writer: Brandon Christensen, Ryan Christensen, Matt Manjourides
Runtime: 96 Minutes
Starring: Alyson Gorske, Kio Cyr, Michael Paré
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Michal (Alyson Gorske) is trying to focus on acing her finals and celebrating the end of the semester with her friends when she finds herself drawn to a true crime podcast about her own family. The memories of her father (Zachary Le Vey) disturb her waking hours while her bouts of sleepwalking disrupt her sleeping hours, much to her roommate Charlie’s (Angel Prater) chagrin. As a series of increasingly disturbing events take place, Michal must contend with the possibility that her father’s claims that an entity named ‘The Puppetman’ made him kill her mother might be true, and that she might be his next marionette.
An engaging premise and memorable scares make up for iffy performances and awkward dialogue in supernatural horror The Puppetman.
Plenty of horror films follow serial killers and their targets, but The Puppetman has a few tricks up its sleeves to make it a generally enjoyable supernatural slasher. The mystery is engaging, if rushed, and makes for some truly compelling moments. The idea that a serial killer has cursed a family, or is otherwise pulling the strings in their life, makes for a fascinating horror film concept. The supernatural slasher does a great job at giving the audience just enough of the mystery to keep it engaging without pulling out all the stops to make it obvious, which makes it harder to predict.
The Puppetman rushes through its admittedly intriguing plot and misses out on some prime opportunities for character development, especially for its lead, Michal. As many horror films do, The Puppetman focuses on Michal’s childhood trauma and how that shapes her in the person she is today. Throughout the film, Michal grapples with the realities of her upbringing while trying to make sense of the powerful entity hellbent on killing all those around her. The metaphor of a lingering trauma hurting those around someone is not lost on The Puppetman. Michal oftentimes lacks agency in the film, having most of the action happen to her or on her behalf by others. While it fits the story perfectly, it feels like a jumbled mess of ideas when scrutinized against the themes the film builds up for so long.
Shaky performances show a lack of confidence in the material that wavers between cast members. Most of the emotional beats fall on the shoulders of Alyson Gorske and her overly wrought performance as Michal. As if she is on a perpetual tightrope of scared and enraged, Gorske fails to inject much credence behind Michal’s character arc leaving the third act feeling rather deflated. The rest of the cast tries their best to work with the material but they often fall into this trap of almost finding their character but not quite doing so that makes it very apparent that the action onscreen isn’t real.
Its dread-inducing concept is utilized to its full potential thanks to Brandon Christensen’s knack for tension and scares. Featuring some genuinely creative kill sequences, The Puppetman knows how to eek out tension in unnerving ways. With the power of the titular entity reigning supreme over Michal and her group of friends, the crew get into some sticky situations with mind control. One of the most memorable sequences of the movie involves two characters struggling against their fates at the same time before falling victim to their equally gruesome demises. The split perspective and race against time trope employed gives the feeling that there might be a way out for at least one of them, but The Puppetman subverts the expectation in a deliciously cruel manner.
While it doesn’t fulfill the true promise of its premise, The Puppetman is a solid supernatural slasher that aims to thrill more than anything. Its captivating story and gnarly kills make for an obvious selling point for the subgenre while overshadowing the rough performances and flat characters. Christensen has a knack for creating interesting films and The Puppetman is no different. His consistency in delivering solid horror films in terms of story and production is commendable, even if this reviewer always finds himself wanting just a bit more. No need to make the decision yourself, you’ll find the invisible strings pulling your hands closer to the remote to turn on Shudder and watch The Puppetman sooner or later.
Overall Score? 6/10
