Hellboy: The Crooked Man

This film is really good. My only issues were understanding some of the dialogue especially with some accents as well as some weak acting in places. The vibe and visuals of this film is amazing. And I just don't know much of the lore/background and haven't read any of the original source material so was missing some context but other than that it's brilliant especially considering it's clearly low to mid budget. The dark horror tone is absolutely nailed with a brilliant use of practical and sparing CGI effects in big moments. Personally I wouldn't even say the fidelity is bad in any meaningful way but I could see it unfortunately turning people off especially if they are used to the high production budget of the previous Hellboy films. Sad it probably won't do well enough for them to do a sequel because it was so well done and was far more interesting than any of the previous Hellboy films. I've not read the comics but watching this made me want to but it's reportedly a faithful adaptation of the comics. None of the previous films made me want to read the comics. It's sad that lots won't get to see this properly in theatres and is going straight to streaming as I think it definitely benefits from the theatre experience and am glad I was lucky enough to. So even with the minor issues I had I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hellboy: The Crooked Man and hope by some miracle it does well enough for them to make another even better one with a higher budget.

Very much story driven... and, I've got nothing bad to say about the acting.

If you like Hellboy comic books then you'll like this.

Comic Book Movie in line with Watchmen more than previous Hellboy Adaptations, though I never read B.P.R.D. or any of the Hellboy-world outside of a few big stories (I think this was one).

This is more for the real fan, maybe the first real movie for them, but I recommend, just take the time to pay attention, it is a story driven movie, think of print media, its a comic adaptation...

Well, I enjoyed it... lost my place a few times, if I'm honest, but it felt fresh and less Holywood. More comic book and quite creepy.. I liked the atmosphere and thought the look was good.. I know its not the normal opinion but judge for yourselves.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man – A Modest Step Forward, Yet Still Falling Short

As a longtime Hellboy fan, I recently watched Hellboy: The Crooked Man and found it to be a step up from the 2019 reboot starring David Harbour. While Harbour's portrayal had its moments, this new installment feels more aligned with the comics, especially in tone and atmosphere.​

The film embraces a horror-centric approach, capturing the eerie and weird elements that are signature to Hellboy's world. Set in 1950s rural Appalachia, the limited locations are utilized effectively, creating a claustrophobic and haunting environment. The use of practical effects is commendable and adds authenticity to the visuals. However, the occasional CGI moments are noticeably subpar, likely due to budget constraints.​

Jack Kesy's portrayal of Hellboy is more subdued and closer to the comic's depiction, avoiding the overly juvenile behavior seen in the previous film. His performance stands out, though it doesn't quite reach the iconic status of Ron Perlman's interpretation. The costume design is decent, but it lacks the distinctive, exaggerated features that give Hellboy his unique comic book appearance.​

One aspect I appreciated was the film's commitment to showcasing Hellboy's investigative side, reminiscent of the detective work from the comics. The narrative is divided into chapters, which felt unnecessary given the film's runtime and contributed to a structure that resembled a TV episode more than a standalone movie. This episodic feel suggests that Hellboy might be better suited for a serialized format, allowing for deeper exploration of his world and character.​

However, some scenes felt unnecessarily prolonged, causing the tension to wane at times. Additionally, the music occasionally overshadowed the scenes, drawing attention away from the narrative.​

It's unfortunate that the film received minimal promotion and was released directly to digital platforms, causing it to fly under the radar for many fans, including myself. With a Rotten Tomatoes score hovering around 38%, I believe it's been somewhat undervalued. While not without flaws, it's a more faithful adaptation of Mike Mignola's work, with Mignola himself co-writing the script and praising the film's adherence to his vision.​

In summary, Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a modest improvement over its predecessor, offering a darker, more comic-accurate portrayal of the character. However, it still doesn't capture the magic of Guillermo del Toro's earlier films. I remain hopeful that Hellboy will eventually receive the treatment he deserves, perhaps in a well-crafted series that allows his rich universe to unfold more fully.​

Very much like the comics in all but aesthetic.

For me, this is THE most engaging and important part of Hellboy, and Crooked Man fails very badly on that front.

Without the aesthetics, the vignette style 'starts in the middle of the story' + Hellboy merely being a bystander that ends up thumping the bad guy with his big hand doesn't translate well to film.

Del Toro's films got around this by getting an actual fucking screenwriter to write a script, and sticking to extremely good practical effects coupled with lighting that worked for them.

Mignola is seemingly hellbent on ignoring all the good in those films and stamping his foot down to say 'no this is what Hellboy is'.

All Mignola has done here is stamped in his own steaming pile of shit - thinking his writing is more important than his visuals. He's out of his depth with writing for the screen and should stick to what he does best - comics.

All that said, it was a good effort and much better than the previous reboot starring Elephant Man Demon Meathead, plus Mo from Eastenders (what were they thinking).

One rod of Plutonium out of Pi.

I went into ‘Hellboy: The Crooked Man’ with low expectations and an open mind, knowing that with its small project status, zero marketing, and direct to VOD release (with a few limited theatrical releases in some countries), it’d be unfair to judge it on how well it compares to the Guillermo del Toro films. Considering the elephant in the room that is the film’s significantly low budget of $20 million, which is less than one third of what the 2004 Hellboy film had to work with 20 years ago, and less than the reported cost of one episode of the recent ‘She-Hulk’ show, the main thing I’d say about 'The Crooked Man' is that it tries its best to deliver a love letter to the comics with whatever resources it got.

This is a project that Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is directly involved with, both as part of the executive producers team and as a co-writer of the script, and consequently, the movie in many ways does carry the spirit of the books as he gets his chance to bring the character to the screen the way he wanted. The film’s tone is significantly different to all previous Hellboy movies, making a complete turn towards the indie horror genre, with a hint of b-movie on the side, which admittedly is something that mostly works in its favour. Based on the 2008 ‘The Crooked Man’ comics with a story taking place during the 50s, the film is an overall faithful adaptation, with a few additions surrounding Hellboy’s origins and the newly-introduced Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense special agent, Bobbie Jo Song.

It’d be a lie to say that the very limited budget of ‘The Crooked Man’ doesn’t become obvious very soon, mostly when it comes to the special effects. From dimly lit scenes, to showing things from a certain angle, to things happening off camera, the film tries every trick in the book to find a workaround to its budgetary restrictions, and in all fairness, it actually succeeds more often than it fails. That said, there are moments, especially during daylight scenes, that the fact that you are watching a man wearing a red skinsuit and a gigantic prop hand becomes a little too hard to ignore.

At the same time, Jack Kesy delivers a solid performance in the lead role. His Hellboy is rather different to Ron Perlman’s charismatic and snarky version, but with his dry wit, brooding and no-nonsense personality, and his softer side also coming through the cracks, this does feel like a comic book accurate depiction of the character. I just wish the film took more chances to showcase Hellboy’s vulnerability and distinctive sense of humour as well.

All in all, ‘Hellboy: The Crooked Man’ is a pretty OK film and makes an enjoyable watch, especially if you hold any love for the comics or the indie horror genre. It has some legit fun moments, it’s a self-contained story without attempting to do any more than that, and it’s clearly a project that tries to honour its source material as best as it can. Sometimes it gets a little cheesy, not all characters get their chance to shine, but it manages to tell a Hellboy story in a way that feels reminiscent of the books. I might be off here, but I feel that people coming from the comics might have an easier time digesting this film, compared to those who solely know the character through GDT’s adaptations.

I won't claim that 'Hellboy: The Crooked Man' is a flawless film, but between a blockbuster that looks down upon its source material and attempts to reinvent it coming from that angle, and a small project that genuinely, if sloppily and imperfectly, tries to pay homage to the comics it is based on, I'll personably always pick the latter.

A poor offering, would have been a better movie without Hellboy. Not because Hellboy was badly acted, but because the character seemed out of place in this movie. Not sure why you would cast Hellboy in your budget horror movie without any regard to the subject matter or intellectual property, but I'm guessing the IP was cheap to acquire and the name recognition will get a few more views?

It's just no Hellboy Movie. Could be any Blair Witch Scary Woods Horror Story. Major disappointment from previous Hellboy movies

Kinda random, like picking a Hellboy comic from the store. I liked it though.

Was this maybe originally meant to be a TV pilot?

_That thing at the church sure took forever huh..._