If you are tired of overly serious, slow-burn horror and just want to have a fun night at the movies with some incredibly creative practical effects, Pinocchio Unstrung needs to be on your watchlist. This is a pure, unadulterated splatter slasher that knows exactly what it wants to be—and it delivers on the gore.

The film follows Pinocchio living with Gepetto and trying to navigate friendship and social norms. Because he lacks a human understanding of right and wrong, his journey has a strange innocence to it, creating a fascinating contrast with the physical puppet itself. They built an incredibly creepy puppet with facial movements that are genuinely unsettling to look at.

The kills are next level! The blood-splattery kills in this movie are fantastic. Rhys Frake Waterfield let his imagination run free giving us a variety of kills that are highly creative, deeply gross, and hilariously over-the-top. If you appreciate practical gore effects that make you squeal and laugh at the same time, you won’t be disappointed.

The cast does superb work performing the tone of the film. Hearing the voice of Cricket performed by Robert Englund is a real treat and adds a lot of personality to the film’s darker moments.

 It doesn’t take itself too seriously. It strikes the perfect balance of horror, absurdity, and dark humor.

Don’t go into this expecting realistic, grim horror. Pinocchio Unstrung is a silly, bloody, fun ride. It is built for horror fans who love inventive kills and practical effects, and it has all the ingredients to become a staple on the midnight movie circuit.