THE PUPPETMAN Reviews of Brandon Christensen’s Shudder horror plus trailer

‘You’re not in control’
The Puppetmaster is a 2023 American supernatural horror film about the daughter of a convicted killer who comes to suspect an evil force was responsible.

Directed by Brandon Christensen (director of Superhost; Z; Still/Born; producer of It Stains the Sands Red) from a screenplay co-written with Ryan Christensen. Produced by Seager Dixon, Matt Manjourides and Justin Martell.

The Not the Funeral Home production stars Michael Paré, Caryn Richman and Alyson Gorske.

Plot:
The Puppetman is a convicted killer on death row. He has always maintained his innocence saying it was an evil force controlling his body as he slaughtered his victims.

Now Michal, the killer’s daughter, begins to suspect that there may be some truth to her father’s claim when those around her begin to die in brutal ways. All hope rests on her shoulders to break The Puppetman’s curse…

Writer-director Brandon Christensen enthused: “The Puppetman harkens back to films like Final Destination where you take a group of friends and exploit them for horrifying deaths. We had a ton of fun developing these characters and then taking everything we know about them and turning it against themselves. While I’ve killed off characters before, it was nothing compared to the grotesque machinations that Shudder allowed us to do on The Puppetman.”

Reviews:
“Instead of being spaced out, the kills happen rapidly – with two of them happening simultaneously. A new character also plays an important part without bringing anything to the actual story. There is a neat twist involving Michal and a particularly gruesome death in a library, but there is less meaning. Nowhere is this more clear than the final moments.” AIPT

“Thanks to Gorske Michal’s character development can be properly seen and her transition from vulnerable to creepy is believable. Unfortunately, the plot turns repetitive and predictable taking away the shock factor of the ending and the cliffhanger. The film leaves more questions than answers, the door open for a sequel, but several improvements in the writing and acting need to be made if that’s the goal.” Confessions of a Horror Freak

“Horror fans will recognize the name of the director and this alone should be enough reason to want to check it out on Shudder. The story of why people lose control of their free will is not entirely unfamiliar, but the plot of this horror movie still manages to feel fresh. With a runtime of just 96 minutes, it’s a true horror treat.” ★★★ Heaven of Horror

“The Puppetman might be Christensen’s best film yet (far better than Still/Born and more consistent than Z), thanks to some genuinely eerie séance sequences and the super-nasty spin it puts on demonic possession. Christensen takes viewers to some dark, twisted places, which is great.” J.B. Spins

“What should have been played campier, emphasizing the more ridiculous elements, instead was done deathly serious for whatever reason. Shudder original movies vary wildly in quality, being perfectly exemplified here. With wonky effects, silly mythology, and a been-there-done-that feel, The Puppetman fails to impress.” ★★ Josh at the Movies

“Regardless of Christensen’s background in VFX, I appreciated that most of the death scenes are created with practical effects, which add an extra layer of realness. I wouldn’t go as far as to say they’re creative, as similar ideas have been explored before […] That said, the film’s ability to use such effects enhances kill scenes and makes them memorable. It’s just unfortunate that the storytelling surrounding them isn’t the most thrilling.” ★★½ Loud and Clear

” …The Puppetman starts making up rules as it goes, tries to establish more back story than it needs, and relies on the characters plotting a scheme against the demon, without explaining the mechanics of what’s supposed to be happening in the first place. The movie does so much right, in spite of and because of its limitations, that it’s ultimately frustrating how much it botches in the final stretch.” 2.5 out of 4, Mark Reviews Movies

“The Puppetman can be considered a dark horse success, as the title seems to have flown under the radar. It has the potential to pave the way for more films in this subgenre, exploring the depths of fear and psychological terror even further. Overall, The Puppetman is a great horror movie enlisting a new type of evil power to contend with.” ★★★★ Mother of Movies

“The film seems to be playing catch-up and making things up on the fly, and by the climax the viewer is confused as to the very nature of The Puppetman as an antagonist. Too much heavy lifting is expected of Gorske, who puts in a decent final girl performance but struggles with an exposition-heavy script. It’s a shame as there’s potential here for an ongoing series, but it may require a larger budget for Christensen to realise his ambitions.” ★★★ The Movie Waffler

“Christensen has a keen eye for manoeuvring 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.” Paste

“While The Puppetman provokes a fabulously dour small-town atmosphere that serves as a strong backdrop for this spectral tale of otherworldly intervention, the script suffers here and there from horrific sequences that seem to break the film’s loosely established rules.  They’re great thrills and chills, but viewers who watch closely might spend more time questioning the hows and whys when all that really matters here are the wow’s (!!!). SciFiHistory.net

“The Puppetman is a film that feels like it’s trying to do things a little differently, yet also seems to be sticking to some very expected horror conventions. It feels like it’s trying to play it safe, that it’s not pushing any boundaries or expectations, and as such kind of comes out feeling fairly average […] it’s the kind of movie that I’m going to forget within a day or two.” ★★★ Set the Tape

“The occult scenes make for some pretty gnarly visuals atop of the mind manipulation sequences. There is an explanation for what exactly “the puppetman” is, even if it comes fairly late into the film. In terms of tone, The Puppetman most resembles Z. It’s a moody and atmospheric film with several memorable and jolting kills.” Signal Horizon

“If you’re looking for something very competently and professionally put together with a couple of gory scenes to liven it up, The Puppetman will work, especially if you’re new to the genre. But most viewers will find the material way too familiar and the execution way too predictable.” 2 out of 5, Voices from the Balcony

“The Puppetman is less successful in what it’s attempting than his earlier films overall, but there is still plenty of evidence within that Brandon Christensen is a talented filmmaker, it’s simply that as his worldbuilding expanded, his grip on his narrative has slackened when it should have tightened.” ★★★ The Wee Review

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