Pinocchio: Unstrung is a 2026 horror/slasher film that follows the iconic puppet’s disturbing journey toward becoming real. It is part of the increasingly bizarre Twisted Childhood Universe, which turns characters from public domain children’s stories into horror figures.
The movie was directed and written by Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare; Dinosaur Prison; Rise of the Loch Ness; Sky Monster; The Killing Tree; Firenado) and produced by hyper-prolific filmmaker Scott Jeffrey [aka Scott Chambers] (Spider in the Attic; The Mutation; Bats; Bad Nun: Deadly Vows; Cupid; ClownDoll and many, many others).
“Our movie flips everything you know about Pinocchio on its head,” Frake-Waterfield previously commented. “We have an incredibly talented cast and crew working on this. We are heavily relying on practical effects for all of the deaths and creature work. I can’t wait for the world to meet Pinocchio.”
The Jagged Edge Productions film stars Richard Brake as Geppetto, Robert Englund as the voice of Jiminy Cricket, Cameron Bell as James, and Jude-Evan Lloyd as the voice of Pinocchio.
Special effects maestro Todd Masters (Child’s Play; Underworld Awakening; Slither) provided the fully-practical Pinocchio puppet. Masters previously enthused: “I’ve forever loved the original and demented story from the 1880s. So I was excited to join this production, to bring this little puppet to life — with all practical FX “This version is still a little puppet’s pursuit to becoming a boy… but the way he becomes one is extremely gnarly… and frankly, very fun.”
Overview:
Rather than simply making Pinocchio into a generic killer puppet, Pinocchio: Unstrung reworks the basic mythology of the original story into a dark coming-of-age slasher.
Young James goes to live with his grandfather Geppetto after the deaths of his parents. Already dealing with grief, James loses his best friend as well. Geppetto subsequently introduces him to a remarkable wooden puppet that is actually alive: Pinocchio.
James brings Pinocchio into the outside world, including his school, where the puppet encounters bullying and cruelty. Unfortunately, Pinocchio has an extremely literal understanding of morality. When James expresses a desire for the people tormenting him to be dead, Pinocchio decides to make his wish come true.
Plot [contains spoilers]:
James is sent to live with his grandfather Geppetto, a mysterious and obsessive craftsman, following the deaths of his parents. Geppetto attempts to provide the troubled boy with companionship by introducing him to Pinocchio, an animated wooden puppet.
Pinocchio initially behaves more like an innocent child than a conventional monster. He is fascinated by the human world and particularly attached to James, whom he sees as his friend and protector.
When James takes Pinocchio to school, however, the puppet witnesses the bullying and mistreatment James receives. James eventually makes an offhand remark wishing that his tormentors were dead. Pinocchio takes this literally.
With the sinister Cricket acting as a disturbing influence, Pinocchio begins eliminating people whom he believes are “bad” or who have caused James suffering. His victims aren’t restricted to the school bullies: the killing spree expands to adults, including a dentist and a drunk driver.
James eventually realises that his new friend has become a lethal threat. Together with Mia and Dudley, he attempts to stop Pinocchio, while the increasingly disturbing history of Geppetto and the puppet is revealed…
Review:
Pinocchio Unstrung is exactly the sort of film its title promises: a beloved children’s character has been ripped from his wholesome surroundings and dropped into an unapologetically nasty slasher flick. Fortunately, the result is more entertaining than previous entries in the so-called Twisted Childhood Universe.
The practical puppet effects by Todd Masters give Pinocchio a surprisingly convincing physical presence, and watching this innocent-looking wooden child progress from curiosity to homicidal obsession is considerably more effective than simply turning him into another masked killer.
Richard Brake brings his customary menace to Geppetto, while Robert Englund clearly relishes the opportunity to provide a voice-over for a thoroughly twisted version of Jiminy Cricket. Gorehounds will appreciate several gruesome practical kills.
Unfortunately, Frake-Waterfield’s screenplay never matches the potential of its central idea. The themes of grief, bullying, innocence and the corrupting influence of adults are present. However, they largely serve as excuses to simply move from one kill to the next. The supporting characters are thinly drawn and as with many cheap Brit productions the dialogue can be painfully awakward.
Nevertheless, Pinocchio: Unstrung works reasonably well as low-budget nasty horror and is worth a watch.
Technical specs and release:
82 minutes and it was released in the US on 24 July 2026.
Guest review by our friend Leo from Geek Legion of Doom:
Trailer:
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