Pinocchio Unstrung (2026) – Review and Summary

Pinocchio Unstrung raises the bar for The Twisted Childhood Universe thanks to writer/director Frake-Waterfield’s growth as a creator.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Pinocchio Unstrung” Film Details

  • Director(s): Rhys Frake-Waterfield
  • Writer(s): Rhys Frake-Waterfield
  • Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 20 Minutes
  • Public Release Date (In Theaters): July 24, 2026
  • Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
  • Content Rating: Rated R
  • Primary Language: English
  • Images © of / Courtesy Of ITN Distribution

Movie Summary

After losing his daughter and her partner, Geppetto finds himself becoming the guardian of his grandson James. He loves him, adores him, but the deaths may have changed Geppetto, one of the wealthiest people in the area, and it leads him to do experiments in his basement. This leads to the birth of Pinocchio, who is originally hidden from James.

However, in time he is introduced, and being that Pinocchio has spent his existence locked in a basement, he takes to James, a real boy, with ease. But with Geppetto not teaching Pinocchio anything about morality, ethics, or what he shouldn’t do, even if capable of it, he ends up causing chaos in this town, which can never catch a break.

Cast and Characters

Geppetto (Richard Brake)

  • Character Summary: Geppetto is one of the wealthiest men in town, but his rather large house is bare. It isn’t clear what made him rich, but it is clear that James is his last descendant, and he is working on something in his basement beyond Pinocchio.

James (Cameron Bell)

  • Character Summary: James is an orphan, being raised by his grandfather, who has been experiencing the death of a lot of people he was close to in the last few years. But, despite what has happened, he is well-adjusted enough to function and be seen as a normal kid.

Pinocchio (Jude-Evan Lloy)

  • Character Summary: Pinocchio is one of Geppetto’s latest experiments and perhaps his most successful yet. But, with being more focused on what Pinocchio’s creation means than Pinocchio himself, this leads to Pinocchio getting into the kind of trouble that leads to dead bodies.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

You Feel For Pinocchio [84/100]

After Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, you could submit that Pinocchio Unstrung is a strong showing in how Frake-Waterfield has evolved as a writer and director. While still committed to using newly public domain characters for shock and awe, increasingly it seems that is the hook; not all his stories have to offer.

Case in point: The writing and performance of Pinocchio. In many ways, reminiscent of what we saw in the second Blood and Honey movie, watching Pinocchio and James is like seeing the relationship between Pooh and Christopher Robin in Blood and Honey 2. The difference here being, Pinocchio and James are younger, and James doesn’t abandon Pinocchio and does try to guide him to be a better person.

But it is in that innocence, or ignorance, depending on how you want to look at it, that you see Frake-Waterfield’s growth. Pinocchio is curious, loving, and wants to protect James, especially after learning his backstory. There is a relationship built there which isn’t just served through flashbacks, but the entire movie. Then when you add the conflict of Pinocchio trying to earn and solidify his place in James’ life, it is like watching a destructive little boy prove he belongs in the family. That he isn’t a liability, something to keep hidden away, but an asset.

Now, will this make you cry and really get emotional? No. However, there is no denying that Frake-Waterfield has raised expectations for his next project based on what was done with this character.

The Gore [81/100]

The quality from past Twisted Childhood Universe movies is maintained as faces are ripped at, bodies get utterly mutilated, and while still fully able to eat your popcorn, you would still describe most of the scenes as gruesome. Especially as they play up Pinocchio’s pursuit of becoming real and show how easily he could become as twisted as the rest of the characters in the Twisted Childhood Universe.

The Animatronics/Puppeteering [83/100]

I don’t think beyond the Child’s Play franchise, or the work of Jim Henson, have I found myself really taking note of the puppetry and animatronics used in a movie. For whether it is murder scenes or moments which pull at your heartstrings, the way Pinocchio is performed reminds you that as wonderful as CGI can be, there is a reason a lot of purists desire practical effects.

Yes, seeing Pinocchio’s wooden face at first purely has a creep factor, but as you see him express confusion, work out how he is being misguided, and see him deal with an array of emotions, it makes you love the imperfections. Now, this isn’t to say there aren’t some special effects to show his nose growing, and things like that. However, as shown in the credits, you can see the depiction of Pinocchio was a labor of love, and I’d submit, it paid off.  

On The Fence

Wishing The Human Characters Had As Good Of A Performance As Pinocchio [77/100]

Pinocchio’s vulnerability, naivety, and the empathy you can have for him, strangely isn’t something that the human characters achieve. James, despite the loss of his parents, being bullied, and more, doesn’t really give a heartening performance. Even when talking about recent losses in his life, there isn’t this push for him to be an emotional character you feel bad for, considering how much death he has experienced.

On top of that, when it comes to Geppetto, you don’t get any form of complexity. Yes, it is pushed that his grief is what fuels his experiments, but the emotion behind these decisions isn’t there. He is not wrestling with morality and trying to justify his work as an end to a means. Be it because of his own fears of death or worry that James could die.

For the most part, the humans are in service to Pinocchio, and while he is the title character, it is strange seeing how much an animatronic doll can give viewers, while the humans in the film seem limited.

Though I will say, I do appreciate how James is written and performed, regarding depicting him as being a pre-teen who just discovered a wooden talking puppet, never mind one who ends up on a murder spree. You could tell me all of that was improvised, and I’d believe you.

Overall

Our Rating (81/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)

Pinocchio Unstrung pushes the idea that the Twisted Childhood universe remains strong and worth heading to the theaters to see its latest entry. For with Frake-Waterfield pushing beyond the horror/slasher expectations and giving us a character with something to offer beyond name and visual recognition, you can see growth. The type that pushes the idea that Frake-Waterfield is truly creating worthy new tales featuring classic characters and continuing to build a recognizable brand that feels increasingly capable of standing on more than shock value alone.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.