Pinocchio: Unstrung Review – Beloved Puppet Becomes Serial... 2026

Pinocchio: Unstrung is the latest entry in the so-called Twisted Childhood Universe, a bad-taste British slasher franchise that turns beloved children’s characters into sick serial killers. Directed again by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, this film follows a pair of satanic Winnie the Pooh movies and offers a nasty piece of work that aims for black comedy but often misses the mark.

What Is Pinocchio: Unstrung About?

The story is set in a stately English countryside manor where inventor Geppetto (Richard Brake) lives with his preteen grandson James (Cameron Bell), whose parents died in an accident. James has also lost a friend to childhood cancer. To give James a companion who will never die, Geppetto carves a wooden puppet and brings it to life. Like Chucky in the Child’s Play movies, this Pinocchio is a creepy doll with a malevolent face and rictus grin. James is terrified at first, but the two become fast friends, with juvenile gags about missing anatomy and what it means to be a real boy.

The Slasher Turn

When James sneaks Pinocchio into his school bag and tells him not to move, bullies attack James. He mutters, “I wish they were all dead,” and Pinocchio obliges with grisly, drop-a-dumbbell-on-your-face scenarios. The film tries for black comedy but often feels like a replay of slasher clichés without much satire. A particularly troubling scene involves a female schoolkid getting a slasher moment topless in the shower, with the camera panning across her silhouette behind the curtain.

Key Takeaways

• Pinocchio: Unstrung continues the Twisted Childhood Universe trend of turning innocent characters into killers.
• The film relies on gore and juvenile humor, but the gore often looks fake and fails to disgust.
• Controversial elements include body-shaming jokes and gratuitous nudity involving a minor character.

Comparison Table: Twisted Childhood Universe Films

The table shows a consistent pattern of poor critical reception, with the franchise relying on shock value over quality storytelling. The Pinocchio: Unstrung review echoes these sentiments, noting that the film feels more like a cash-in than a sincere horror effort.

Technical and Ethical Issues

Beyond the fake-looking gore, the film includes tasteless jokes about an overweight kid puffing on an inhaler. This kind of smirking unpleasantness makes it hard to recommend even to slasher fans. The movie’s serial killer puppet lacks the charm or depth needed to make the horror work.

FAQ

In conclusion, Pinocchio: Unstrung is a cynical exercise in horror parody that fails to deliver genuine scares or laughs. If you’re a fan of the Twisted Childhood Universe, you might find some dark amusement, but most viewers will be left cold by its cheap shock tactics. Read our full Pinocchio: Unstrung review to decide if this puppet slasher is worth your time.