RUMPELSTILTSKIN
****
Directed by Andy Edwards.
Starring Hannah Baxter-Eve, Joss Carter, Adrian Bouchet.
Horror, UK, 87 Minutes, Certificate TBC.
Released On Digital April 7th from Miracle Media
Reviewed as part of Pigeon Shrine FrightFest Glasgow 2025
As certain copyright terms and exclusivity rights fall to the wayside, the boom in fairy-tale horror continues to spread across the low-budget horror scene like some ever expanding day-glo mushroom cloud. No childhood favourite or figure of comfort is spared; Popeye, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan and many others have all been armed with knives, axes and any other sharp implement to hand as they shift from family friendly animation to slashers. Now it is the turn of Rumpelstiltskin to turn sinister in a way like never before.
To his credit, writer and director Andy Edwards is attempting something more here than what can be found elsewhere in this field. There is a definite laziness in taking a familiar character and pasting a sinister smile on them and a knife in their hand, or paw, and thankfully this is something Edwards cannot be accused of. Despite the low budget this is an honest attempt at looking at the sinister side of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale that was there all along. Fleshing out the story of a young woman held captive by a cruel king after her father claims she can spin straw into gold therefore forcing her into a deal with the titular figure in exchange for her firstborn, Edwards grafts on a number of folk horror stylings to elevate his interpretation.
Filming in the boxy 4:3 ratio certainly helps and the muddy, cold and damp location work and ramps up the atmosphere of its middle-ages setting. There is also no doubt that this is one of Edwards most ambitious projects yet. The main location of its vast castle impresses as does the number of extras on display, many of whom were actual LARPers (Live Action Role Players) or whatever crew were spare at the moment. Most impressive of all though is Rumpelstiltskin himself. Played with the right amount of mischievousness by Joss Carter, his performance is considerably heightened by excellent prosthetic work from Will Harvey. Once he has emerged from the shadows, this Rumpelstiltskin is pleasingly repulsive and slimy, making for an entertaining villain that is a cut above what is usually found in this burgeoning field of low-budget horror.
There is however in the first half of the film a sense of repetitiveness. In fleshing out the story and grounding the motivations of its human characters, the film stalls with the film's heroine Evalina, played by Hannah Baxter-Eve, and her bargain with Rumpelstiltskin. This series of scenes brings a halt to the proceedings but once dealt with the film resumes its zippy pacing once more, expanding the scope of the story out in an interesting fashion. Also at play here to go along with the film's folk horror vibe, is an attempt at 80’s fantasy cinema that gives the film another pleasing edge. There is one character here, a CGI invention that somewhat sticks out against the film's more practical and convincing practical elements.
This niggle aside, there is very little else to hold against the film. Edwards has an ambition, that if realised with a bigger budget, would win him and the film a far bigger legion of fans. He, along with his cast and crew, should be commended for going against the grain and opting out of the easy option that could have been taken with a character like this.
Iain MacLeod
