Last Updated on October 11, 2024 by
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a 2024 Action and horror Movie directed by Brian Taylor. The film stars Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, and Leah McNamara, with a runtime of 1h 39M, and will be released on October 8, 2024.
The creature Hellboy, developed by writer and artist Mike Mignola, has never been an easy concept to sell to the masses. He is a demon who hunts evil creatures, but he barely manages to find success in the blockbuster film audience even though Hellboy is an ostei Nicholl with an extraordinary appearance and incredible stories. Nevertheless, Hollywood persists in attempting to turn him into a star. Instead of doing a big-budget reboot like the last “Hellboy” movie from 2019, this new film, “Hellboy: Unlike “The Ballad of the Sad Cafe,” “The Crooked Man” employs the second-person point of view. It has only half the budget, several limited shooting places, and serves as an attempt at providing an engaging narrative. The director, Brian Taylor, isn’t known for making great films (he’s done movies like “Jonah Hex” and “Ghost Rider: After coming back to life with the help of “Spirit of Vengeance,” the. runner is lost again in “The Crooked Man.” The movie has that series episode feel to it, not very intriguing and rather boring at times, even though the script was written by the illustrious Mike Mignola.
The story is based in the year 1959 when Hellboy (Jack Kesy) works together with a new member named Bobbie Jo (Adeline Rudolph) who is his partner within the B.P.R.D. The two are in a train amidst the Appalachian mountains protecting a gigantic spider. However, when the creature is released, they introduce chaos the train is derailed and the rappers are left in the middle of nowhere.
On a stroll in the forest, Hellboy and Bobbie Jo encounter a child who is under a spell in a house. They soon encounter Tom played by Jefferson White, a man who has gone back home to confront his family’s sinister past. Tom also agrees to assist them as he is aware that the place is infested with wickedness. All in all, the main characters go to challenge Cora (Hannah Margetson), a witch who has gotten herself involved in incredibly sinister procedures. Cora has caught the attention of The Crooked Man (Martin Bassindale), a creepy villain working for the devil to steal souls.
If you have watched the first two Hellboy movies directed by Guillermo del Toro, you are bound to expect grand special effects, intricate monsters, and massive action sequences. This particular film does not command such a heavy budget and thus is not nearly as flashy. There are not many big scenes, but most of them take place in the woods or in small locations as in a television series. The character models are not as detailed as Hellboy himself, even in the previous movies. The movie is more consistent with the primary source materials as Mignola assisted with the script since it drew from his 2008 comic series.
However, merely because “The Crooked Man” is a faithful adaptation does not necessarily mean that it is an interesting film. For most of the duration of the film, the action after an interesting introductory battle with the giant spider on the train is rather sluggish. The two main characters Hellboy and Bobbie Jo just stay in the woods for a lot of time investigating witchcraft and it never really gets tense.
One can attempt to focus on the partnership between Hellboy and Bobbie Jo where the latter is a rookie member of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense while the former reluctantly works with her portraying himself as a bitter and unsatisfied officer. But their chemistry is rather weak and the movie hardly contributes to their interaction and growth. Tom joins them soon, he contributes some information about evil in the region but he does not bring any suspense into it.
Finally, the group confronts the Crooked Man and his associate, Effie (Leah MaNamara), a fearsome warrior that will attack anyone who comes close. The given character is effectively wicked, however not very scary as there is little dramatic action and tension in the film.
The only positive impressions that can be made about “The Crooked Man” are the following: There is some character development for Hellboy where he has to deal with his actual demonic roots and something about a ‘mommy complex.’ The movie also has quite an entertaining character: Reverend Watts (Joseph Marcell), the blind priest who is aware of the evil in the area and assists with the blessed shovel.
However, for a film about a demon combating witches and monsters, there is inexplicably little action or thrill. However, the movie is very dark (possibly to conceal some of the low-quality effects), which does not necessarily increase the horror. The director of the movie is Brian Taylor who attempts to make the movie look like a haunted house movie but all in vain because the movie has little tension and is very slow.
Final Thoughts
“Hellboy: “The Crooked Man” attempts to bring something different to the Hellboy movies by being closer to the source material and providing a more personal and contained adventure. Yet, it does not effectively deliver an entertaining or stimulating experience. This Hellboy does not have the same action, personality, or creativity as the previous Hellboy movies. What could have been an epic quest comes across as a mediocre journey, as though it was filmed for an episode of television. This movie is very poorly executed because it is dull, the characters do not share any chemistry, and the main antagonist is very poorly developed.
If you are a die-hard Hellboy fan or a fan of the comics, you might find some of the aspects of the story likable, but most of the audience will likely be let down by “The Crooked Man.”
Hellboy: The Crooked Man 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for some violent content, language and nudity
Violence and Gore: In Hellboy, the protagonist participates in violent battles with magical monsters, such as spiders, witches, and demons. Such fights may be violent and contain blood, wounds, and even gruesome details like flesh openings, limbs torn off, or generally disgusting visuals of monsters. Also, the first scene that illustrates the movie features a giant spider fight with the creature battling with Hellboy and Bobbie Jo which establishes suspense. The movements and attacks of the spider are described as terrifying, and the consequences of the battle can shock the audience with the sight of the spider’s injuries and the people who were killed by it. The movie contains scenes of the use of dark magic especially the witch Cora and her evil deeds. It would just consist of some specific scenes – disturbing rituals, curses, or representations of magical violence in general. The main evil character in the story is essentially The Crooked Man who is described as a servant of Satan. The sexuality and brutality of the main character, especially about his enforcer Effie, are revealed as acts of soulling, stalking, and torment. Analyze scenes in which characters are mistreated or threatened in a physically or psychologically menacing manner. Some of the deaths that are observed in the movie include those of people and freaks. Such scenes could be shocking because of the way people or animals are killed or annihilated. It contains elements of threat and harm, where some characters may be depicted as being possessed, physically attacked, harmed, or manipulated in a perversion manner.
Profanity: The main character Hellboy has a coarse, cynical demeanor and has several lines which contain coarse language such as ‘fk’, ‘st’, and ‘damn’. These words are often used in stressful situations or as a part of Hellboy’s informal communication. Other characters also use the language, using words such as ‘hell’ and other religiously based swear words throughout the film due to its supernatural theme. The dialogue may also have some level of blasphemy in since the premise of Hellboy revolves around heaven and hell, demons, and other related concepts associated with the occult.
Alcohol, Drugs, and Smoking: As a part of his personality Hellboy is often portrayed carrying a drink and taking a sip of the alcohol whether it is in between fights or after a tough battle. Despite these scenes being rather inconsequential to Hellboy’s overall plot, it adds more layers to his boisterous demeanor. Although there is no substance abuse demonstrated in the film, the main theme revolves around organized demonic rituals, and the atmosphere of the film is somber and oppressive, which suggests a feeling of mind-control or drug-induced trip.
Nudity and Sexual Content: The movie does not involve any scenes or episodes where there is naked or involved in sexual activity.
