Pinocchio Unstrung ★★★

Released: 24 July 2026

Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield

Starring: Robert Englund, Richard Brake

The fourth instalment in the Twisted Childhood Universe, Pinocchio is the latest classic to receive the horror movie treatment from Jagged Edge Productions. Directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who directed the two previous Pooh movies and produced the remainder of the franchise, Pinocchio: Unstrung delivers a version of this tale that ensures the titular character has absolutely no strings to hold him back. Influenced by the sinister Cricket (Robert Englund) and created by Geppetto (Richard Brake), Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother James (Cameron Bell), one piece at a time. Boasting lashings of gore, impressive performances and a premise that utilises the roots of the original story to its advantage, Pinocchio: Unstrung becomes the team’s best entry so far, even though some writing issues remain.

The storylines of the TCU movies, which combine elements of the original classic tales with modern horror settings, are normally quite inspired, but this one takes the cake. Pinocchio is gifted to his human companion James after suffering a loss, with Geppetto’s intention being to give his grandson a friend he will never have to say goodbye to. This sets up an emotional and uncomfortable watch, further exacerbated by Pinocchio’s increasingly dangerous behaviour. Pinocchio vows to keep James safe from harm, but that soon becomes a problem when he stops at nothing to make this happen. Somehow, the filmmaking team manage to blend the real-life themes of grief and loss with the fantastical elements we know and love from the original story, even incorporating the cricket. It makes for a surprisingly effective combination of heartfelt emotion and gruesome horror, with the familiar foundations of Pinocchio giving the film’s more outlandish ideas an unexpected emotional weight.

Speaking of gruesome horror, Pinocchio: Unstrung ensures that like its predecessors, it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Pinocchio’s desire to protect James from harm quickly becomes a dangerous obsession, brutally eliminating anyone who causes his human companion even the slightest discomfort. As well as this, he soon comes to realise that he is fundamentally different from James — not only in appearance, but in his genetic make-up. This leads to one of the film’s most grotesque ideas, as Pinocchio begins to preserve the body parts he harvests from his victims, collecting everything from eyeballs to teeth and plenty in between. For this sidekick-cum-villain, no method of killing is off the table, with the film gleefully embracing increasingly gory and mean-spirited ways to wipe its victims from the planet. It makes for a wild, gloriously gruesome ride, with the kills spaced out enough to ensure there is always another burst of carnage waiting around the corner. Horror fans will be impressed to see a large amount of practicality on display, including puppetry, that bring these kills to life even further. Pinocchio: Unstrung is, without question, one for the gorehounds.

A big reason for the improvement compared to prior entries is the performances. Pinocchio: Unstrung employs a really solid cast who elevate the material tenfold. Richard Brake (Barbarian) is an inspired choice as Geppetto, especially for this version – a Frankenstein-esque scientist whose heart is in the right place but whose methods lead to disastrous consequences. He embraces the character’s mean streak while still allowing his good intentions to shine through. Horror icon Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) only lends his vocal cords to the film but his presence is fantastic, elevating the script as Cricket, Pinocchio’s sinister conscience who spurs him on to commit evil acts while convincing him that he is doing the right thing. Cameron Bell also fares well as James, our main character suffering from grief whilst navigating his new dysfunctional friendship with Pinocchio, while Jude Evan Lloyd’s sickly-sweet voice performance as the titular wooden doll makes his increasingly sinister behaviour all the more unsettling. Some of the younger cast leave a little to be desired, but they still bring plenty of charisma and fresh energy.

Despite the vast improvements, Pinocchio: Unstrung still has issues that may prevent it from winning over those who are not already fans of the universe. Weaknesses in the script remain apparent, with attempts at humour frequently falling flat, particularly when the film relies on children swearing for comedy, an overused idea that plays as corny rather than funny. In truth, the film does not necessarily need this added humour, as its campy and entertaining nature already comes naturally through its characters and premise. Although the story is fantastic, the dialogue could do with some fine tuning across the board. The team also does their best with the budget available, but there are a few instances where the CGI and visuals fail to look as convincing as the film’s stronger moments, particularly those that rely on practical effects. The use of real-life puppetry and gore effects soar, but the more CGI-dependent elements are considerably more mixed.

Pinocchio: Unstrung is not only an improvement, but the best entry into the Twisted Childhood Universe yet. The team deliver a fun, gory and surprisingly emotional horror experience that benefits hugely from its strong performances and inspired use of the original story. The runtime also never overstays its welcome, being kept at a swift 82 minutes, while fans of the TCU will undoubtedly enjoy the cameos that help connect the film to the wider world being created. There are still weaknesses in the writing, some humour falls flat and the CGI is inconsistent, but the practical effects, frequent kills and committed cast make this entry impressively strong.