HELLBOY: The Crooked Man Movie – Ruth Greening

October 4, 2024

I have always been a fan of Hellboy (Jack Kesy). I find his personality appealing, his witty one-liners make me laugh. Credit to the writers.

Hellby may have deliberately cut off his horns at the base leaving two round platforms on either side of his forehead. His slope-shouldered bellied red-skinned muscular body is ape-like and his right arm has an geometric oversized hand made of stone known as the Hand of Doom, and his feet are cloven hooves all of which contribute to his bewitching behaviour. Hellboy is such an appealing character.  

But he upholds his unusual demeanour with pride, always entertaining. As in all his comic book movies the latest Hellboy: The Crooked Man grabs your attention. There is something about Hellboy, particularly when he gets himself into trouble fighting the baddies. 

Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a twisted kind of comedic horror foreboding fable, all part of the Hellboy franchise. This is the fourth instalment of the series, its darker horror roots are a must for fans of Mike Mignola’s original comic book creation.  Hellboy proudly claims, “I AM the heebie-jeebies” a warning to all. 

The Story

It is 1959 and a train travels through the Appalachian region in North America. Hellboy, Bobbie Jo Song a non-field BPRD agent and Dennis are transporting a magical spider to their lab for research purposes. The spider wakes up and attacks them. Dennis is killed and their compartment falls off the train. Hellboy and Bobbie continue fighting the spider. They weaken it but then it escapes underground. 

With their cargo now missing, they decide to search for a telephone. They stumble upon a secluded house and ask the owners to use the phone. Hellboy sees a young boy on the ground, unmoving. The old owner says that he has been bewitched. The town has been infested with witches for quite some time. Tom Ferrell arrives and explains more about the town and himself. He had his run-ins with witches and a demon they’ve come to know as the Crooked Man The Crooked Man is their leader.

We also learn that Tom’s father has disappeared and is presumed dead. Tom had close dealings with his right-hand woman Effie as a child. Tom carries a lucky bone from childhood that could allow him to use magic himself but is in fear of making himself beholden to the devil. He explains that Cora Fisher used a witchball on the boy. 

Effie reveals that the decrepit horse is Tom’s father. The group face the Crooked Man in need of purifying the town. They stop by Reverend Watt’s church. Hellboy senses an evil presence and Cora is attacked by a snake. Hellboy wrestles with the snake and is stung and blacks out. Hellboy is snapped out of the vision because Tom uses his lucky bone. They continue to the church and meet the Reverend. Cora was killed in the snake fight but her soul managed to escape and takes refuge in the church. 

Finally, the Crooked Man appears outside the church and convinces Tom that he will spare the lives of the others if he returns the lucky bone to him. However, Hellboy intervenes and the Crooked Man taunts him about his mother burning in hell. Bobbie decides to explore the mine shaft under the church as the tunnels reach the Crooked Man’s house. 

Hellboy and Tom find the Crooked Man’s house it is laden with booby traps and mind games. They are separated as Effie attacks Tom and Hellboy encounters his mum Sarah, who commands him to kill her to free her from her pain. 

Bobbie Jo and Watts travel through the mines with the Reverend’s blessed shovel and are attacked by crows.  Bobbie manages to escape but comes upon the magical spider that escaped in the opening of the film. Tom uses the lucky bone against Effie and sends her flying out of the house. Hellboy and Tom go to the basement to kill the Crooked Man. Hellboy and Bobbie Jo have grown close and are finally rescued. 

Cast and Crew

Director-Brian Taylor 

Producers-Mike Richardson, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathon Yunger, Les Weldon, Rob Van Norden, Yariv Lerner

Writers – Christopher Golden, Mike Mignola, Brian Taylor, Mike Mignola (comic book “Dark Horses”)

Director of Photography – Ivan Vatsov

Actors – Jack Kesy (Hellboy), Jefferson White (Tom Ferrell), Leah McNamara (Effie Kolb), Adeline Rudolph (Bobbie Jo Song), Joseph Marcell (Reverend Watts), Martin Bassindale (The Crooked Man), Hannah Margetson (Cora Fisher), Carola Colombo (Sarah), Nathan Cooper (Farmhand)

In cinemas on 6 October 2024

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