Hellboy is yet another comic-book character that has had mixed fortunes at the cinema. The beloved Mike Mignola creation spawned the two should-have-been-a-trilogy Guillermo Del Toro films, which most people loved but they never got the box office or reaction they deserved. Unfortunately, there was also the badly thought-out “reboot” from Neil Marshall in 2019, which sucked hard despite some decent performances from David Harbour and Milla Jovovich. These were all relatively big-budget studio projects, which is why this “fourth instalment in the global franchise” (a quote actually used on early posters) came as such a surprise and flew way under the radar for most people until the trailer appeared online. Inevitably it picked up a lot of negative flak with many “commentators” somewhat harshly likening it to an amateur fan film. It’s been directed by Brian Taylor (Mom and Dad) from a script he wrote with Mignola, which very closely adapts the graphic The Crooked Man limited series that was originally published back in 2008. Rather than the beefy profiles of Ron Perlman or David Harbour, this time “Big Red” is played by Jack Kelso (who you might remember as Bolivar from The Strain TV series). It can be considered as a “prequel” to the other films, although it is more closely aligned to the tone, style, and content of the comics to a far greater extent than the previous versions. Having had an early release in Belgium (?!), in the UK we’ve been treated to a limited theatrical release in cinemas before it gets a VOD-only release in the US. So it would be rude not to make an effort to see it in that format.

 

With a no-nonsense Hammer-esque opening title, we’re dropped straight into the year 1959. At this point in his “career” Hellboy A.K.A. “Big Red” is working diligently as an enforcer/investigator for the BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence). His current mission sees him babysitting a locked crate in a box car on a train, as it hurtles through rural Appalachia. The crate holds a demonically-possessed giant spider that runs amok and causes the train to derail, throwing Hellboy and his partner (Bobbie Jo Song played by Adeline Rudolph from the Netflix “Sabrina” series) into the forest. Looking for a phone (this is 1959, remember), they run into some disgruntled locals. Having recognised HB from Life magazine (!) they’re unfazed by his shaved horns and tail and are more focused on witchy goings-on that are paralyzing kids and killing folk. This is all connected to an ancient demon known as “The Crooked Man” and coincides with the return of Tom Ferrell (Jefferson White), a man who ill-advisedly dabbled with magic and entered into a deal with the aforementioned entity. Good job Hellboy has a bloody big gun and is not in the mood to be putting up with any shit from the underworld.

 

It's quite likely that most people who are familiar with Hellboy at the cinema have gleaned their knowledge only from the three previous big-budget films. And quite a lot of those people are going to be pissed with this version. It’s so close to the source material that it feels like the graphic novel collection was a working script. The only major difference is that Bobbie Jo is an original character created specifically for the film, but she slots in very nicely to the proceedings and becomes key to some of the best moments. The thing is, haters are gonna hate because it assumes knowledge of the character to quite a high level and doesn’t allow for niceties around general exposition. On one hand, this is quite refreshing, because we get quick throwaway lines about Hellboy’s origin and the BPRD’s purpose, rather than long, boring origin sequences. On the other hand, newbies or casual viewers are going to be baffled by many of the references, the lore, and the accept-it-or-not incorporation of magic and the afterlife. It’s best you know what you’re getting into in that respect.

 

In terms of story, the narrative intentionally exploits its late 50s setting and Hellboy’s corresponding persona as well. He’s not (and arguably never has been in the comics) the action-orientated hero that barks out witty one-liners after despatching world-threatening bad guys here. This is the “original-flavour” character, a gumshoe-like “detective” who chain-smokes and has a world-weary view of life along with all the magical crap he encounters. Like a diabolic Sam Spade (younger horror fans can Wiki him), he might have a big gun and a foul mouth, but he has a soft heart and looks out for the little guy. He also spouts choice 50s dialogue like; “The nympho broad in the tree says you ain’t scared of me”, “This place smells of death and bird shit”, and “Dark things call to dark things”. In this respect, Kelso is actually pretty good. Whilst Perlman is always going to be the benchmark for a cinematic Hellboy, Kelso is closer in a visual aspect being somewhat lankier and more physical, with the paired-down prosthetics working okay in context.  He also “hrrms” and grunts a lot rather than spout jokey put-downs, being very laconic. However, the actor does excel when it comes to confronting the truths about his mother and releasing some of the self-hatred that he carries inside in some nice scenes. He might not have the gravitas or imposing heft of Perlman or Harbour, but he carries the gun-fights and fist(of doom)-icuffs well enough.

 

It's worth mentioning the qualities that Rudolph brings to the supporting role of Bobbie Jo. An immensely likeable character (who wasn’t in the original story), she acts as a natural foil to Hellboy. New to “field work” and more used to office research, she nonetheless takes to incantations and witchery pretty quickly and provides a nice emotional counter-point to the protective Big Red. What starts like a brother-sister relationship is teased into something more in the latter stages. Surprisingly prominent to the story is the role of Tom Ferrell, since Hellboy is really a guest in his overriding narrative. White plays him with an endearing drawl and a decent nature, which grounds the tale in its folk horror roots. The characters of the ever-horny Effie Kolb (Leah McNamara) and the pious Reverand Watts (Joseph Marcell) are also well-played by the chosen actors. Less successful perhaps is the actual “Crooked Man” (Martin Bassindale). It’s not the acting nor the prosthetics, it’s just that the clicking-broken-necked-pale-ghost trope has been done to death now in modern films and it doesn’t feel creepy enough. Despite, his apparently omniscient powers, flinging Hellboy around like a broken doll, he just doesn’t feel like a good enough nemesis for the main characters and is slightly bland.

 

What’s really going to divide the audience though is the scope and tone of the movie. Very much a folk horror, it’s closer to stuff like Pyewacket and Jug Face than it is the previous three movies. There are blurry visions, speed distortions, small cabins, and an endless forest, along with Southern accents and fruity monologues. Let’s just say that if you ever wanted to make a “Witch-Ball”, you’ll get a comprehensive masterclass from an archetypical hag right here, complete with the full recipe laid out for you (including bat brains). If that’s the sort of thing that you find weird or random, then this ain’t the experience for you. And that’s not to mention a raccoon resurrecting a boneless body, cooked babies under a cloche, birds plucking out eyeballs, and a giant snake emerging from a witch's nether regions. It’s like a folk horror made a child with a spaghetti western, and then got Rob Zombie to film its shenanigans. There are screeching violins for much of the soundtrack (a bit too much of them to be honest) and a raspy indie feel that is supported by the obscure country music being played over certain scenes.

 

That weird-ass tone is going to come as something of a no-no for many fans of the previous films. The reduced budget and scope also mean that the SFX ranges from the shonky (the train crash) to the decent (the shrinking spider). Having said that, some nailed sequences are spot-on for the character and directly lifted from the pages of the source. Hellboy’s encounters with his doomed mother are integral to his growth, and the scene where legions of sinners are resurrected by the Crooked Man and blown away by Hellboy’s hand cannon is just the best. Alongside those moments though, there are multiple versions of obvious (unscary) jump-scares, long trudges through the wood, and flashbacks that interrupt the main story.

 

So it’s a mixed bag, but it’s not a terrible one. Purists and open-minded horror fans will love the tone and direction, despite the obvious lower budget and reduction in scale. It does suffer from many folk-horror tropes but this is only because so many are present in the original story and have been seen before on the screen in more recent projects. It might sound like faint praise, but it probably is better suited to VOD and the small-screen rather than a cinema, as there is a presumption that it’s going to be more of a big-hitter in terms of spectacle and effects. But if you can accept all of those factors, this is a pretty enjoyable, if low-key, excursion for Big Red. Kelso does well and Bobbie Jo deserves another stab as his partner. Whether that happens or not is another matter. Just do your (paranormal) research and make sure that you get the experience you’re expecting. Hella-okay.