Film

Pinocchio: Unstrung

A horror reimagining of Pinocchio that strips the fairy tale down to its nightmare core: a wooden puppet's violent obsession with becoming human, manipulated by a sinister Cricket and driven by sibling rivalry. Visceral, darkly comic, and genuinely unsettling. For anyone who's ever wondered what Pinocchio would look like if it were actually about the horror of being trapped in the wrong body.

TMDb rating3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a grisly, gleefully twisted take on a childhood classic, one that doesn't flinch from body horror and keeps a mystery gnawing beneath the gore.

Skip it if you find gore wearing thin quickly, or want a slower, more character-led fable; the violence is front and centre and the 82 minutes won't soften it.

What it asks of you: A brisk eighty minutes, with scares arriving in bursts and a tone swinging between grim and mischievous, so it wants your full attention, not background company.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Coraline2009

Stop-motion dark fantasy that takes children's story tropes—the substitute parent, the uncanny double, the hunger for love—and inverts them into genuine dread. The animation is gorgeous and deeply disturbing in equal measure.

But It moves slowly and builds unease rather than delivering shocks. If you want action and scares in the traditional sense, it might feel too patient and weird.

Coraline poster

Swallow2020

Psychological horror about bodily autonomy and control that escalates with unsettling logic. Harrowing, original, and impossible to look away from. It understands why the body can become a site of horror.

But Extremely bleak and deeply uncomfortable. The premise is disturbing and the film doesn't flinch. It's punishing in the way horror should be.

Swallow poster

The Orphanage2007

A ghost story that's actually about maternal guilt, loss, and the spaces we create for children. Structurally elegant, genuinely frightening, and the emotional core is devastating. Spanish cinema at its most controlled and cruel.

But Subtitled, and relies on mood and suggestion rather than jump scares. If you need constant stimulus, the slow-burn approach won't hold you.

The Orphanage poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Pinocchio: Unstrung

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Witch in the Window2018

Both use a familiar story framework to explore something grotesque about transformation and the body. Both have a creature at the center driven by hunger and jealousy.

A tiny budget folk horror film about restoration, intrusion, and the ways old houses harbour violence. It moves like a haunting moves—creeping, inevitable, precise. Genuinely frightening despite minimal resources. The sound design is worth the price alone.

But Extraordinarily quiet and slow. No score, minimal dialogue. The horror is entirely atmospheric. If you need plot scaffolding or clear scares, this will bore you.

The Witch in the Window poster
More like this (6)

Gremlins1984

Spielberg-produced creature feature that understands chaos and violation. It's funny and anarchic but there's real menace underneath—the Gremlins are destruction incarnate. The tonal balance is masterful.

But It's a product of the '80s and shows it. The effects are practical and dated. Also tonally weird—it doesn't stay dark long enough if that's what you want.

Gremlins poster

Flesh and Bone2015

Darkly weird dance horror-thriller about trauma, ambition, and the ways institutions damage the young. It's beautiful and deeply disturbing. Adam Schaefer's direction is hypnotic and the central relationship is complex and wrong.

But It was cancelled after one season and ends on a cliffhanger. Extremely bleak and depictions of abuse are unflinching. Not comforting television.

Flesh and Bone poster

Teeth2008

Body horror that's actually about autonomy, shame, and refusal. It's transgressive without being cruel. Funny in an uncomfortable way, and uses its premise to explore something real about power and desire.

But The central conceit is deliberately nasty and will make some viewers deeply uncomfortable. Low budget occasionally shows. It's more interesting than thrilling.

Teeth poster

Goodnight Mommy2015

Austrian horror about mistaken identity and the fragility of recognizing those we love. Genuinely unsettling and structured like a trap. The reveal earns the buildup. Atmospheric and slow-burning.

But Extremely dark ending. Very quiet and requires patience. Contains images of real injury and disfigurement that some will find too much. Austrian, so subtitled.

Goodnight Mommy poster

The Dark Crystal1982

Practical-effects puppet fantasy that's genuinely alien and nightmarish. Henson's most uncompromising work—it trusts the audience to sit with weirdness and dread. The world-building is immaculate and deeply wrong.

But Pacing is glacial. The puppet faces are deliberately unattractive. It's a slog if you're not committed to the vision. Some find it unwatchable rather than absorbing.

The Dark Crystal poster

Come True2020

Like Pinocchio, it's about the horror of becoming something other than yourself. A character pursued by their own transformation, watched and manipulated, with no clear escape.

Sci-fi sleep-study horror that's more interested in texture and dread than narrative. Hypnotic, surreal, gorgeously composed. The final act is genuinely unsettling and the film trusts you to make meaning. Syntwave electronica throughout.

But Deliberately vague plot. The ending is abstract and will frustrate anyone who wants clarity. Very mood-dependent. Some will find it pretentious rather than provocative.

Come True poster

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