Director – Nick Grant
Starring – Charly Bivona (Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption, My Brother’s Keep), Coco Conroy (The Letter), and Will Cooper (Chasing Banksy, Most Evil)
Release Date – 2017
Rating – 3.5/5
There is so much to love about Troma. Not only have they released some of the most iconic horror and exploitation films but they never shy away from an independent filmmaker regardless of the style of film. Sometime ago I got the press release for Nick Grant’s Gutboy: A Badtime Story.
I loved the artwork on the blu and I couldn’t wait to check it out. I reached out and was lucky enough to get a review copy on blu. Sadly, I misplaced it and didn’t find it until I was packing up my collection after the fire. Thank you Troma for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check out the film!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a young man who is tricked into trading his skin to a wealthy business man. His skin is removed and he is left in the woods alone when a skinless woman rises from the pond he was fishing in. She has magical powers and falls in love with the newly skinned boy who now goes by the name Gutboy. She offers him one wish and he chooses to marry the daughter of the muscle bound sheriff instead of her. She promises to grant his wish but she has plans of her own to become that woman he marries even if she has to skin her and wear it. Along the way he promises to get his revenge on the businessman who wronged him but finds love in an unexpected place.**Spoiler alert**
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Gutboy but I have to say that I was impressed. I absolutely loved the film and I can see myself revisiting this one often which is something I rarely say about indie films. The voice acting in this one is hit and miss. Some of the characters, like Gutboy and Besto, have great character voices that really brings their personalities to life but some of the other characters fall a little flat or stale.
The story for this one is not as gruesome as I was expecting but it was still fun. The movie is almost predictable but just when you think you have a grasp of where the story is going it throws something else new and fun at you. I found myself glued to the screen the entire time. The pacing is smooth and the movie moves right along.
Finally, the puppets are far from perfect but they are fun and work for the grittiness of the film. This is a film centered around puppets so don’t expect blood and gore. Overall, Gutboy: A Badtime Story is a fun watch. It is the most Troma film I have seen in a few years but I absolutely loved it. Check it out.
