Make way, Poohniverse—there’s already a “weird” Pinocchio horror movie with a terrible Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Pinocchio: Unstrung is the latest installment in the Twisted Childhood Universe – often referred to as the “Poohniverse” – but another film came before it.
Horror films featuring popular childhood characters have become a real trend in recent years, reaching their most absurd peak with “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” in 2023.
Although the film was a critical flop, it was a box office success, creating an entire cinematic universe based on beloved characters. Pinocchio, Bambi and Peter Pan will become part of the Twisted Childhood Universe in the years to come.
While Pinocchio: The Last Ride has already been accused of “copying” the marketing of another iconic horror doll, the incident also reminds film lovers of a particularly cheesy horror film from the ’90s that featured this doll.
That’s right – before there was Pinocchio: Unstrung, there was Pinocchio’s Revenge. Released as a direct-to-video release in 1996, the horror film was a dark take on the famous character.
The film is about a lawyer defending a convicted child murderer who takes home an innocent-looking wooden doll that was buried with a corpse. When her young daughter takes a liking to the doll, they keep it, only to discover that the Pinocchio doll has a violent mind of its own.
Pinocchio’s Revenge was a flop with critics
If the words “straight to video” set off alarm bells, you’d be forgiven. The film was panned by critics and audiences alike, and currently sits at just 25% on Rotten Tomatoes.
When the poster for Pinocchio: Unstrung was revealed on August 23, one X-user wrote, “Let’s see if this new Pinocchio horror movie can compete with Pinocchio’s Revenge.”
Another noted: “Um, they already made a Pinocchio horror movie in 1996.”
On Reddit, one user wrote: “My cousin and I always watched horror movies in Suncoast, and we always wanted to see this one, if only because of the title and cover.”
Obviously, Pinocchio’s Revenge is more of an ironic experience than a true horror masterpiece.
One user wrote: “This is the perfect movie for a lazy night in. My stepdad used to buy VHS tapes from this guy and this movie was one of them. I watched it a lot as a kid. It still doesn’t make any sense.” Another added: “It’s so weird!!!”
Others, however, prefer to remember the horror film from the 90s and comment as follows: “This is definitely a surprise hit. It’s actually a pretty well-made piece of psychological horror and the doll is terribly creepy” or: “I remember watching this when I was 10 and it scared the crap out of me. I need to watch it again!”
Pinocchio’s Revenge is not currently available on streaming services, but you can rent the film for $3.99 on Apple TV+.
For more, check out all the other horror movies of 2024 to look forward to. You can also read our FrightFest 2024 movie reviews and check out the best serial killer documentaries to watch right now.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1121x269:1123x271)/jackpot-7a5d6a00c93e4baa9f49dd701808f6b0.jpg "Awkwafina flexes her action muscles in ‘Jackpot!’ (Exclusive)")
