Scott Chambers (who portrayed Christopher Robin in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2), writes and directs the third instalment of The Twisted Childhood Universe.
Megan Placito - Wendy Darling
Martin Portlock - Peter Pan
Kit Green - Tinker Bell
Peter de Souza-Feighoney - Michael Darling
Summary
At a fantasy-themed circus, Peter Pan mimes for children and gives a balloon animal to a boy called James.
After the show, Peter kidnaps James at his home, but before killing her, the mother mutilates his face.
15 years later.
Peter has ditched the clown make-up and sometimes wears a doll mask to hide his disfigurement.
After eventually kidnapping Michael Darling, he calls the house and tells his mother Mary that he's been taken to Neverland.
When Peter adds Michael's best friend Joey to his crackhouse ranch, Wendy follows and rolls up rescuing sleeves.
Pixie dust
Say what you will about these controversial horror re-imaginings, but they are definitely improving.
At the start, Peter talks to James from a basement hatch (The Evil Dead) and does a direct impression of Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise in It (2017). Other times, he's Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck.
Also, plot draws heavily from The Black Phone.
Performances are strong, particularly from Placito and Portlock, and I liked what they did with Tinks (drug-addicted hag) and Hook (Candyman wannabe James).
In terms of gore - this delivers. We get multiple stabbings, fingers bitten off, a head scalping and limbs removed.
However, the punishment Peter and Wendy dish out on each other gets ridiculous, almost Terrifier-esque.
Neverland is a place that exists only inside Peter's head and he occasionally hallucinates a shadow of a boy flying on the wall. Yes it's meant to be Disney's animated version of character, but cannot be explicitly shown due to copyright.
Ending leaves door open for a sequel which would explore Neverland further, but obviously depends on box-office performance.
