Hellboy: The Crooked Man Review: Moody Folk Horror, Missing Its Bite

This Hellboy: The Crooked Man review starts with a simple question: can the big red demon thrive in a smaller, spookier story? Brian Taylor's 2024 take trades blockbuster spectacle for backwoods folk horror, with Jack Kesy stepping into the role. The atmosphere is promising, but the pace rarely matches it.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The plot opens aboard a train in the 1950s. Hellboy is escorting a dangerous giant spider with Bobbie Jo Song, an aspiring para-psychologist and rookie BPRD agent, when an accident leaves them stranded deep in the Appalachian woods.

They soon find old coal mines and a tight-knit community that distrusts outsiders. Local lad Tom Ferrell has come home, and the pair end up helping him with a family matter. Before long it's clear that witches haunt these hills, and a local devil called the Crooked Man has a connection to Hellboy's past.

If you like your action and mystery with a side of rural dread, the setup has real appeal. The film is based on the comic work of Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, who also share a writing credit with Taylor.

What Works in Hellboy: The Crooked Man

The opening train sequence is the strongest stretch. It delivers the kind of creature-fighting action fans expect, and it moves briskly.

The setting is the other big plus. Misty hollows, abandoned mines and wary villagers give the film a distinct look and a Tim Burton-ish gloom that sets it apart from earlier Hellboy outings.

• Atmosphere: the woodland and mining-town backdrop feels lived-in and eerie.

• Tone: the folk-horror angle is a fresh fit for the character.

• Compact running time: at 100 minutes, it never outstays its welcome in sheer length.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man Cast and Performances

The Hellboy: The Crooked Man cast is small and solid. Jack Kesy plays Hellboy as a weary, dry-humoured brawler, and he suits the quieter, grumpier take on the character.

Adeline Rudolph brings curiosity and nerve to Bobbie Jo Song, giving the film a useful audience stand-in. Jefferson White is believable as Tom Ferrell, a man pulled back to a home he'd rather avoid.

Leah McNamara plays Effie Kolb and Hannah Margetson plays Cora Fisher, both adding to the unsettling community. Martin Bassindale takes on the title villain, the Crooked Man.

Where Hellboy: The Crooked Man Stumbles

The biggest issue is pace. After the lively opening, the story settles into a languid middle where talk and wandering replace the supernatural thrills the franchise is known for. Some viewers have called it flat, and it's hard to argue the script has much momentum.

The horror also stays surprisingly tame. For an R-rated film about witches and a devil, the scares are few, and the action that does arrive can feel small. The climax lands with less punch than the premise promises.

The backwoods setting also leans on familiar hillbilly-horror clichés, a point some viewers compare to Deliverance. That makes the plot easy to predict.

Is Hellboy: The Crooked Man Worth Watching?

It's worth watching only if you're a committed Hellboy fan or you enjoy slow, moody folk horror. The look, the lead performance and the setting have charm, but the film doesn't build enough tension or excitement to be a must-see.

Audience reaction has been lukewarm, with a TMDB score of 5.1/10, and that feels fair. It's a modest, atmospheric side story rather than a franchise highlight. Go in with low expectations and you may find a decent night in.

If you want more punchy comic-book-style fights, our Action movie reviews are a better place to start. For something with more puzzle-box intrigue, browse our Mystery movie reviews. For another recent comic-flavoured hunt, see our Kraven the Hunter review.

Who Will Enjoy Hellboy: The Crooked Man

• Hellboy completists who want another small-scale tale from Mike Mignola's world.

• Fans of slow-burn, atmospheric folk horror and 1950s rural settings.

• Viewers wanting a short, undemanding action-mystery for a quiet evening.