It’s shocking how well Jesse Holland’s horror film “The Crooked Man” plays, because Syfy original movies are rarely ever as entertaining as this. “The Crooked Man” is part “Lights Out,” and part “It Follows” with a dash of Creepypasta. When she was twelve, Olivia was at a slumber party and was encouraged by her friends to visit a creepy website where if a nursery rhyme about the dreaded crooked man was read aloud, he’d be invoked. Despite their initial disbelief, Olivia witnesses her friend be viciously murdered by the horrific crooked man and is blamed for her death. Six years later when Olivia comes back in to her home town, she realizes that she’s not entirely welcomed there. What’s worse is that the people that were there that night are being viciously murdered by the horrific Crooked Man, who has a bone to pick with the witnesses that night.
Teamed with a local security guard named Noah, she seeks to end the curse before she is ultimately murdered herself. “The Crooked Man” is a very good and surprisingly solid horror film that works within the confines of both urban legends and creepypasta myths that have become so popular over the last ten years. This gives the titular villain a mythology while also tapping in to the way audiences tap in to urban legends. The crooked man packs in enough ambiguity and mystique to make him a horrific villain. The ace make up effects matched with Dmitrious Bistrevsky’s fantastic stunt performance and the wicked computer effects amount to what is a horror villain with potential to be quite iconic. While true certain moments seem to be borrowed directly from “Lights Out,” director Holland compensates with an intriguing narrative, and some grotesque deaths.
This includes beheadings, face mutilations, and even the disemboweling of a young girl. Angelique Rivera also gives a very strong performance as heroine Olivia Shaw, who devotes a lot of her time to stopping the Crooked Man before more people die. Rivera conveys a real terror and urgency in her turn as Olivia and I rooted for her until the very end. I even dug the walk on role by Michael Jai White; I think his character has potential to be a great recurring character if there’s ever a sequel. Thankfully, “The Crooked Man” is good enough to where I’d definitely tune in to a sequel. I’d love to know more about the Crooked Man and why he’s such a twisted entity.
Premiering on Syfy Channel October 1st, 9pm EST.