Born from the creative mind of Mike Mignola, Hellboy first entered our world in the early 1990s in comic book form. The character quickly amassed a devoted following for his unique blend of supernatural action and offbeat humor. Over the next decade, Mignola expanded Hellboy’s world through additional titles set in the same universe.
In 2004, visionary director Guillermo del Toro brought Hellboy to the big screen for the first time. Starring Ron Perlman in the title role, del Toro’s film introduced new audiences to Mignola’s creation in spectacular fashion. It proved such a hit that a sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, arrived in 2008. While both delivered imaginative battles and imaginative visuals, some fans felt the adaptations drifted too far from the source material’s grittier edge.
Fast forward to 2024, and Hellboy has returned once more. This time, Brian Taylor serves as director, co-writing the script alongside Mike Mignola. Adapting Mignola’s 2008 comic story “The Crooked Man,” the film stars Jack Kesy as the younger Hellboy of 1955.
Teaming with new B.P.R.D. agent Bobbie Jo Song, played by Adeline Rudolph, their mission in rural Appalachia brings them face-to-face with the sinister entity known only as The Crooked Man. Promising a pared-back approach truer to the comics’ pulp horror roots, Hellboy: The Crooked Man aims to please fans both old and new with its latest cinematic incarnation of the Right Hand of Doom.
Down in the Hollow
The film takes place in 1950s America, opening as the supernatural government agency known as the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is transporting a dangerous CGI spider creature by train. On board are BPRD agents Hellboy and Bobbie Jo Song, who have been tasked with delivering the strange arachnid safely.
During the journey, the CGI spider escapes, causing chaos on the train. A crash strands Hellboy and Bobbie Jo in the remote Appalachian wilderness. Searching for aid, the pair encounter local man Tom Ferrell, who recently returned from war. He brings them to the secluded community he calls home.
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There, Hellboy and Bobbie discover the town is being terrorized by dark supernatural forces. Tom seeks to save his former love, Cora Fisher, who now seems to be under the influence of malevolent magic. The source of the curse is later revealed to be the Crooked Man, a sinister entity that holds the people under its sway.
Teaming with Tom, Hellboy and Bobbie investigate bizarre occurrences in the forests and towns. They uncover a coven of witches serving the Crooked Man, led by the malicious enchantress Effie. A series of clashes with the witches and their demonic masters ensues as Hellboy battles to lift the curse and free the townsfolk from the grasp of evil.
The central characters find themselves in a desperate fight for their lives and souls against the sinister supernatural threats of the Appalachian backwoods. With Cora’s life at stake, can even Hellboy defeat the powerful force known as the Crooked Man?
True to Form
Anyone familiar with Mike Mignola’s Hellboy comics will find a lot to appreciate in The Crooked Man’s commitment to faithfulness. Co-writing the screenplay alongside creator Mignola ensured the movie captured the essence of the source material.
From the darkened atmospheric cinematography to the grittier take on supernatural horror, the visual style closely mirrors Mignola’s moody, shadowy panels. Gone is del Toro’s more flamboyant, fairytale-like aesthetic. This version embraces the grim, ghoulish tone of the source comics.
The plot adaptation of 2008’s beloved “Crooked Man” story remains impressively loyal, hitting many of the same narrative beats panel for panel. Iconic settings and moments pull directly from the pages, conjuring the comics for fans.
Little was taken out, and nothing feels notably added either. Even obscure background details emerge as meticulous homages. It’s easy to picture scenes lifted whole from the comics struck before your eyes.
For all the lowered production values, this loyalty to honoring the source feels like a welcome change of pace. Where past attempts took liberties, this film doubles down on reverence for Mignola’s craft.
While some decry a lack of imagination reinventing the material, purists will applaud how closely The Crooked Man translates Hellboy from page to screen. By far the most dedicated comic book adaptation yet, it succeeds in its singular goal of delivering a Hellboy story as the creator intended.
In committing so fully to its source’s pulpy proclivities, this film may not please all. But for devoted fans of Mike Mignola’s unique vision, The Crooked Man feels right at home within Hellboy’s dark, grotesque world.
Shadow and Substance
Right from the start, Hellboy: The Crooked Man announces itself as a film operating under tighter constraints than previous adaptations. With limited resources, the makeup department faces a considerable challenge transforming Jack Kesy into the demonic title character. While imperfect in parts, Kesy commits fully to inhabiting the role.
Shot on modest means across rural Appalachia, the cinematography soaks in the region’s brooding natural beauty. Among luminous foliage and flickering campfires, director Brian Taylor finds drama in dingy details viewers might overlook. Even dilapidated farms take on an ethereal quality under his camera’s gaze.
Practical effects reign here over digital trickery. Gruesome mutations of man and beast unsettle entirely without state-of-the-art trickery. When CGI inevitably appears, the seams show. But these stumbles feel forgivable given the film’s scrappy charms.
It’s to the movie’s credit that you feel its resourcefulness wherever you look. Within limitations come sparks of ingenuity, like cursed crows woven from strings and shadow. Where del Toro painted worlds, Taylor sketches nightmares in diluted inks and pastels.
While far from seamless, the atmosphere immerses completely. Fog-shrouded forests become portraits of Gothic Americana. Lives interrupted by witches feel lived-in, down to the farmhouses’ last flickering candles.
The Crooked Man accepts its low budget as character rather than flaw. Like the comic it honors, darkness proves this story’s substance. Shade and eeriness give its horrors the sting of shadows glimpsed at dusk’s end.
Between the Horns
With his introduction to the role of Hellboy, Jack Kesy faced big boots to fill. Ron Perlman owned the part across two films, setting a high bar. Kesy makes the character his own, bringing new shades to Big Red while respecting what came before.
Though harder to see beneath prosthetics, Kesy injects life into Hellboy through subtle mannerisms. Wry humor and weariness towards his lot in life come through, just as vivid as any fiery stunt. He forms a believable foil for eager agent Bobbie Jo Song, played with charm by Adeline Rudolph.
The film devotes most care to developing its leads. Their dynamic evolves sincerely as outsiders find kinship facing rural terrors together. Flashbacks fleshing out Tom’s past, meant to add pathos, feel less seamless instead of slowing the pace.
Supporting personalities vary in how successfully they translate from page to screen. Leah Mcnamara relishes her role as mischievous witch Effie. Local priest Watts, played by Fresh Prince star Joseph Marcell, brings warmth against darkness.
Martin Bassindale as titular foe the Crooked Man looks properly disturbing but feels underused. His objectives remain vague where the comics gave a clearer menace.
Overall, imperfect costumes and mechanics cannot disguise committed central performances. They make you believe in this fantastical world and care about its inhabitants, supernatural or otherwise. That’s magic, even Hellboy himself would appreciate.
Into the Woods
Where Guillermo del Toro took Hellboy on bombastic fantasy adventures, The Crooked Man roots the character firmly in folk horror soil. Gone is any whimsy or cartoonish humor—this is a brooding, deeply eerie descent into rural dread.
Slow-burning scenes establish an unsettled atmosphere before creeping supernatural events disturb the isolated community. Crepuscular cinematography and diegetic score enhance the psychological sense of being lost in a living nightmare.
The film leans fully into the pulpy B-movie charms of its Appalachian setting. Isolated from the outside world, townsfolk face terrors lurking within Appalachia’s dense woodlands rather than in exotic locales. Eldritch mysteries unfold intriguingly like a Twilight Zone episode.
While plot largely progresses via scene-to-scene mysteries rather than overarching arcs, occult intrigue continues to pile intriguing layers high. The pace remains patient rather than frenetic, prioritizing unease over bombast.
Occasional fight scenes break tension rather than heighten it. More chilling are the folk horror-inspired sequences of witchcraft and possession striking dread into everyday life.
By stripping Hellboy back to pulp horror roots and smaller-scale chills, The Crooked Man delivers a truly unsettling supernatural experience. Fans of creepy rural folk tales will find much to appreciate in its sinister Appalachian atmosphere.
Between the Panels
In returning Hellboy to his comic book roots, The Crooked Man succeeds for its faithful adaptations but falters as a standalone film. As a pure recreation of Mike Mignola’s vision, it deserves praise. Yet this insular approach sacrifices accessibility, leaving general audiences cold.
Strengths lie in atmospheric folk horror atmospheres and nailing the spirit of the source material. Weaknesses come from an indie horror-caliber budget and self-serious tone better fitted to a midnight comic-con screening than mainstream consumption.
Purist fans hoping to see their favorite panels spring to life will find much to savor. Others may find its low-stakes Appalachian adventures undercooked against bigger IPs.
While far from a masterpiece, it proves fan-focused adaptations can work. With a tighter edit and greater means, perhaps future Hellboy outings could replicate this model while reaching new eyes.
For now, The Crooked Man offers a commendable treat for the faithful, even if its grimy charms may prove an acquired taste. Mike Mignola’s cinematic vision is well-served, even if commercial prospects remain dim. With luck, more adventures could further develop this take between panels.
The Review
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
The Crooked Man succeeds in its singular goal of honoring Mike Mignola's creation for devout fans. Atmospheric locales and committed leads make for an immersive pulp horror experience, albeit one that prioritizes reverence over mass entertainment value. Respecting its humble aims, this folksy Appalachian odyssey delivers an appreciable witching-hour chiller for demon aficionados, even if wider appeal remains elusive.
PROS
- Faithful adaptation of the comic source material
- Gritty, low-key tone true to Mignola's folk horror comics
- Atmospheric cinematography and rural Appalachian setting
- Strong performances from Jack Kesy as Hellboy and Adeline Rudolph
- Creative practical effects given the low budget
CONS
- Budget limitations result in weak CGI and minimalistic stories.
- Lacking broader appeal or stakes for non-comic fans
- Uneven pacing bounces between slow burn and abrupt battles.
- Tone may prove too serious and inaccessible.
