Movie Review: Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024) co-written and directed by Brian Taylor

Based on Hellboy creator Mike Mignola's favorite comic book story (the movie's script was co-written by Mignola too), the story is set in 1950s Appalachia. Hellboy (Jack Kesy) and Agent Bobbie Jo Song (Adeline Rudolph) are lost after the cargo they were transporting on a train knocked the box car off the tracks. The cargo is a giant, possessed spider that was sedated. Somehow it woke up and went crazy. Hellboy blames the mountains...he can feel the fear and evil in the trees, in the dirt, in the rocks. They wander around the mountainside until they find a house. The mother there recognizes Hellboy from a Life magazine article, so she doesn't freak out. She's a little less sympathetic with Song who is of Asian descent. They come inside the shack and discover a boy unconscious on the floor. The locals know what the trouble is. The child was taunting a local witch, Cora Fisher (Hannah Margetson), so she's hexed him. A long lost local, Tom Ferrell (Jefferson White), shows up and finds a witch ball on the front porch. That's the source of the boy's malady, so Hellboy tells them how to unwitch the child. Tom says he's come back to confront his past. Tom had made a deal with another witch, Effie Kolb (Leah McNamara), who is beholden to The Crooked Man. Tom owes his soul to The Crooked Man. According to legend, he was a war profiteer during the American Civil War who was hung for his crimes but still haunts the mountains, getting a penny for every soul he gathers into Hell. Hellboy and Song join Tom on his quest since there aren't any payphones (or even electricity) around and she wants more field experience. This trip is her first time away from the research part of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. More creepy things happen along the way.

The movie makes the most of a small budget. The Hellboy make-up is not that great but convincing enough. I got used to it very quickly. Some bits of CGI are not too convincing but the instances are fairly rare. Most of the effects look practical and lend to the backwoods horror atmosphere. The music is a little too on-the-nose at times, like they are following the standard tropes of horror cinema scores. The plot is good with interesting developments and the unveiling of information slowly and steadily. The actors are all good with some occasional accents that are laid on too thick. Kesy has the gruffness and down-to-earth quality of Hellboy. The comedic one liners (in the story to break the tension--this is not a comedy) are hit and miss. I would not mind seeing Kesy again as Hellboy.

Overall, I enjoyed this as a low-budget horror film with a favorite character of mine. Since the main character is a demon/man hybrid, it's a tall order to make it look good. They made the most of what they had, using shadows and darkness to convey a menacing atmosphere. It is surely more enjoyable than the last reboot for Hellboy.

Recommended for Hellboy fans.

This did not get a theatrical release in the USA but is available for streaming on various platforms.