AKAPAD The Film Buff dives back into the Hellboy fray with his take on the character’s latest cinematic outing, Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024). This $20 million gem looks and feels like it was torn straight from the comic page, drenched in gritty folk-horror vibes. But here’s the head-scratcher: despite all its strengths, this flick got the cold shoulder from every tier of fan you’d expect to champion it. Time to dissect why the faithful adaptation, killer practical effects, and Jack Kesy’s brooding Big Red failed to ignite the passion this movie deserved.

Those who brought you Hellboy the Crooked Man

Cast

Jack Kesy - Hellboy

Jefferson White - Tom Ferrell

Adeline Rudolph - Bobbie Jo Song

Leah McNamara - Effie Kolb

Joseph Marcell - Reverend Watts

Hannah Margetson - Cora Fisher

Martin Bassindale - The Crooked Man

Nathan Cooper - Farmhand

Carola Colombo - Old Woman

Suzanne Bertish - Grammy Oaku

Crew

Director - Brian Taylor

Writers - Brian Taylor, Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden

Producers - Mike Richardson, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, Les Weldon, Rob Van Norden, Yariv Lerner, Sam Schulte

Executive Producers - Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson, Tanner Mobley, Lati Grobman, Christa Campbell, Mike Mignola, Michael Mullner, Julia Muentefering, Victor Hadida, Cristina Serafini, Gareth West, Artur Galstian, Vahan Yepremyan

Cinematographer - Ivan Vatsov

Editor - Ryan Denmark

Composer - Sven Faulconer

Production Companies - Millennium Media, Dark Horse Entertainment, Nu Boyana Film Studios, Campbell Grobman Films

Distributor - Ketchup Entertainment

More about Hellboy The Crooked Man

Alright, True Believers, let’s dive into Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024), the latest gritty reboot of our favorite cigar-chomping demon! This flick, helmed by Brian Taylor, drags Big Red (Jack Kesy) and rookie B.P.R.D. agent Bobbie Jo Song (Adeline Rudolph) into the eerie backwoods of 1950s Appalachia. They’re up against a coven of witches and the sinister Crooked Man (Martin Bassindale), a devilish creep tied to Hellboy’s past. Think folk horror meets paranormal detective vibes—less blockbuster bombast, more low-budget chills. Co-written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, it’s a faithful stab at his 2008 comic, with practical effects that’d make Sam Raimi nod approvingly.

Box office? Well, brace yourselves, Wiz fans—this one didn’t exactly set the world ablaze. Skipping U.S. theaters for a direct-to-VOD drop on October 8, 2024, it scraped together a measly $2 million internationally. With a rumored budget “way under $20 million,” it might’ve turned a profit via digital and streaming, but don’t expect it to topple Hellboy II: The Golden Army’s $160 million haul. A cult classic in the making? Maybe. A cash cow? Not a chance. Excelsior!