Skonflix Overview & Editorial Review
Following the tragic deaths of his parents and best friend, young James moves into the secluded estate of his eccentric inventor grandfather Geppetto, unaware of the macabre secret hidden in the basement. Desperate to keep his grieving grandson from ever experiencing loss again, Geppetto uses a magical, root entangled tree entity known as the Wood Mother to carve a living wooden companion named Pinocchio. Though initially unnerved by the puppet's uncanny physical appearance, James rapidly forms a close bond with Pinocchio, treating the sentient doll as a brother and protective companion. The fragile paradise shatters when Wood Mother covertly manipulates Pinocchio into believing that he can achieve real boyhood only by harvesting human body parts, organs, and skin from bad people. Prompted by James's offhand vent about local bullies and abusive figures, Pinocchio embarks on a brutal vigilante killing spree, mutilating victims across town to collect teeth, hair, and eyes to graft onto his wooden frame, plunging James into a nightmare as he tries to stop his friend's bloody, misguided crusade.
Directed and written by Rhys Frake Waterfield, Pinocchio: Unstrung (2026) is an indie slasher body horror feature produced by Jagged Edge Productions and ITN Studios. Serving as an entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe alongside Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, the production transforms Carlo Collodi's 1883 classic fairy tale into a gruesome, practical effects driven nightmare. The filmmakers relied heavily on animatronic puppet rigs, unsettling prosthetic makeup, and visceral practical gore to capture Pinocchio's horrific physical transformation as he attempts to build himself a real human body.
Released in movie theaters by Viva Pictures in July 2026, the dark reimagining stars Cameron Bell as James, Richard Brake as the sinister Geppetto, Jude Evan Lloyd as the voice of Pinocchio, and horror icon Robert Englund voicing Cricket. B movie enthusiasts and slash fiction fans welcomed the release for its unhinged practical effects, dark humor, and outrageous body horror sequence twists. By leaning into shock value and fairy tale subversion, the theatrical feature stood out as a bizarre, memorable addition to the modern micro budget horror landscape.