Loved 'Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey'? Check Out the Franchise's Best Installment So Far

A new movie from the creators of the horror movie Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, titled Pinocchio Unstrung, has recently been released, marking the fifth entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe.

In this dark fairy-tale reimagining, the main character is Pinocchio, who still longs to become a real boy. Unlike previous flicks, this new work by Rhys Frake-Waterfield stays much closer to the original and becomes the best movie in the trash-horror series.

What Is 'Pinocchio Unstrung' About?

High school student James is grieving the death of his best friend. To help James cope, his grandfather, Geppetto, creates a living wooden puppet named Pinocchio in a secret basement.

The little figure becomes James' friend and protects him from school bullies. Pinocchio also dreams of becoming a real, living boy.

Encouraged by the basement's inhabitants, the Wood Mother and an evil cricket, the naive puppet decides to bring himself to life by implanting human organs and taking revenge on those who have wronged James.

'Pinocchio Unstrung' Is a Brilliant Piece of Animatronics Work

To create Pinocchio's appearance, the filmmakers opted for a real animatronic puppet instead of CGI. The work of industry veteran Todd Masters, who designed the Chucky doll for the Child's Play remake and numerous monsters for Tales from the Crypt, is truly praiseworthy.

Thanks to the puppeteers, we see Pinocchio moving his wooden fingers, blinking, and pulling grotesque faces. The rough wooden texture evokes a tangible, almost visceral sense of dread.

Gorehounds will also enjoy ultra-violent scenes interspersed with dark humor. During his killing sprees, Pinocchio's nose grows, which he uses as a spear or stake – a brilliant twist on the character's classic trait.

'Pinocchio Unstrung' Successfully Translates the Dark Spirit of the Original to the Screen

Unlike the Disney adaptation, Carlo Collodi's original book is perfect for a horror reimagining: it features undertaker rabbits, a Blue Fairy who appears as the ghost of a dead girl, and children transformed into donkeys and sold into slavery.

This new work stays far truer to the source material than other entries in the franchise.

Having embraced his dark side, Pinocchio no longer wants to be an ordinary boy – he can now join other fairy-tale maniacs in the Twisted Childhood Universe.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Pinocchio Unstrung'?

• Pinocchio Unstrung has 76% from critics and 69% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.1/10.

• On Letterboxd, Pinocchio Unstrung scored 2.6/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Pinocchio Unstrung'?

Pinocchio Unstrung is currently playing in theaters.