Horror Movie Spotlight--Pinocchio Unstrung

If it weren’t for Disney, we would not have children’s stories at all. We would have been traumatized by the original stories that were much darker and had less hope and practically no songs at all. 

English filmmaker Rhys Frake-Waterfield decided to take things up a notch. The original stories are nowhere as dark and gory as Frake-Waterfield’s work. 

The TWISTED CHILDHOOD UNIVERSE was hence born with the first movie, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, being released in 2023. 

Following that, we had the sequel, then Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, and Bambi: The Reckoning. 

Now, it’s Pinocchio’s turn. 

Pinocchio gets the nightmare treatment, too, based on the trailer drop. 

We see a young boy called James who is being given condolences for losing someone really young. Following that, he is sent to live with his grandfather, Geppetto, who introduces him to a wooden boy that lives in a hole in the wall. 

James and Pinocchio become friends, but the wooden boy wants to be more like the real boy. 

Enter Cricket, who isn’t exactly the voice of reason in this nightmarish story. He’s the one who gives Pinocchio the idea to take from humans what he doesn’t have. 

And so, Pinocchio begins his murderous spree, using his sharpened nose as a weapon. In the Disney story, his nose grew longer every time he lied. In this horror movie, Pinocchio’s nose probably grows every time he gets the urge to kill. 

We see victims being scalped, their flesh being torn, their teeth being taken, and, of course, plenty of guts being spilled and pocketed. 

There’s a gym incident that will make you think twice before you head out for your next workout and use the treadmill. 

The kills are gory, so expect a lot of bone crunching and blood. Not for the faint of heart, of course. But those who have enjoyed the Twisted Childhood Universe so far will enjoy this one as well. 

The cast mentions Peter DeSouza-Feighoney as Michael Darling, which means we can probably expect a connection to Peter Pan’s horror story as well. 

The film is written and directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who also serves as a producer alongside Scott Chambers under Jagged Edge Productions. The cast features horror icons Richard Brake as the obsessive Geppetto and Robert Englund as the sinister voice of the Cricket, with Cameron Bell playing Geppetto’s grandson James; the voice of the murderous Pinocchio is provided by Jude Evan Lloyd, supported by an ensemble including Jessica Balmer, Jack Art Gray, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, and Kelly Rian Sanson.

Pinocchio Unstrung currently doesn’t have a confirmed release date, but it is expected to be released this summer.