And those kids will be some of the only people to attend your funeral services. That and Michael Jai White. Why did the pizza man even exist in this movie? I can talk all day about how silly this movie is. There are so many scenes. Like when the girl sees the earth tear open and asks a pedestrian who is casually jogging "did you see that?" Or when she gives the description of the crooked mans home "two rocks near a tree in the woods" and her friend knows exactly what shes talking about because he saw something like that as a boyscout. If this movie was making an attempt at parody, it was very subtle. I give this movie 4 crooked sixpence out of 10.
25 Reviews
A fun film that rips off Lights Out, Nosferatu, and The Babadook.....
FlashCallahan4 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
At a slumber party, twelve-year-old Olivia is blamed for the horrific and mysterious death of her friend after singing a song, created by a recluse called Milo, which summons the titular demonic figure.
Returning home six years later, a string of unusual deaths lead Olivia to believe that she's still being haunted by whatever she saw that night.
Once the rhyme is sung, everyone in the house is cursed to die by his hands.......
For a straight to TV horror movie, particularly one aired on the SyFy channel, this has really good production values, and harks back to the slew of cheap but successful horror films that were released thanks to the success of Scream.
It's a simple premise, sing a song and you will eventually die at the hands of the titular demon, who looks like a cross between The Babadook and Nosferatu, on. A jumping video tape.
And it's nothing more than your atypical horror film that ticks every box in the correct order, and it's all the better for not trying to be anything else.
More or less every friend from her past she bumps into ends up having a visit from The Crooked Man, and thanks to the success of Lights Out, he can only attack you in the dark, and only you can see him.
The origin story of The Crooked Man is nothing more than having an excuse to have someone fairly famous appear in the film, and this time it's martial arts star Michael Jai Whit who gets top billing here, but appears for about five minutes in total.
It doesn't matter though because the rest of the cast are fine, and it's surprisingly nasty for a TV movie.
So all in all, it's nothing special, but because it doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, it's all the better for it.
Returning home six years later, a string of unusual deaths lead Olivia to believe that she's still being haunted by whatever she saw that night.
Once the rhyme is sung, everyone in the house is cursed to die by his hands.......
For a straight to TV horror movie, particularly one aired on the SyFy channel, this has really good production values, and harks back to the slew of cheap but successful horror films that were released thanks to the success of Scream.
It's a simple premise, sing a song and you will eventually die at the hands of the titular demon, who looks like a cross between The Babadook and Nosferatu, on. A jumping video tape.
And it's nothing more than your atypical horror film that ticks every box in the correct order, and it's all the better for not trying to be anything else.
More or less every friend from her past she bumps into ends up having a visit from The Crooked Man, and thanks to the success of Lights Out, he can only attack you in the dark, and only you can see him.
The origin story of The Crooked Man is nothing more than having an excuse to have someone fairly famous appear in the film, and this time it's martial arts star Michael Jai Whit who gets top billing here, but appears for about five minutes in total.
It doesn't matter though because the rest of the cast are fine, and it's surprisingly nasty for a TV movie.
So all in all, it's nothing special, but because it doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, it's all the better for it.
SyFy production is SyFy.
Patient44415 February 2017
Michael Jai White!! Will barely appear in this movie! Sadly they used him as nothing more than a commercial, and as a huge fan of the man, I was disappointed. So don't watch it for him, you'll just get annoyed.
Now the movie itself: I wasn't as disappointed as expected. It had some nice elements to offer, the monster looked good for such a production and the acting was so-so. Was there really any horror? Far from it, no tension either, it's a straight serial killer movie, always knowing who is next to die and how.
But as previously said, it was not the worst thing out there. It was an OK way to spend 90 minutes, especially on a very boring night. Therefore if you are a die hard horror fan, The Crooked Man has little to offer, as little as White's presence, so the decision is on you.
Cheers!
Now the movie itself: I wasn't as disappointed as expected. It had some nice elements to offer, the monster looked good for such a production and the acting was so-so. Was there really any horror? Far from it, no tension either, it's a straight serial killer movie, always knowing who is next to die and how.
But as previously said, it was not the worst thing out there. It was an OK way to spend 90 minutes, especially on a very boring night. Therefore if you are a die hard horror fan, The Crooked Man has little to offer, as little as White's presence, so the decision is on you.
Cheers!
Don't waste your time
lollypopme23 March 2019
This is truly the worst movie I've ever seen.
I feel bad for the actors, the writing is so bad it's painful every time someone speaks. The storyline is directionless and plain boring. Don't waste an and hour and a half on this.
Bad, But Fun
lord-of-the-lez8 July 2018
This is a pretty bad movie. Bad acting, bad CG effects and plot holes so big you can stick your head in them. However, the effects on the Crooked Man itself were pretty creepy and there were a few gory death scenes here and there. And I could've looked past the subpar acting if the movie had a creepy atmosphere or brought something new to the monster genre. I still can't rate it lower than a 5 because I can tell the people involved in this film were trying very hard to whip up something genuinely scary. And I have a soft spot for horror flicks that make me laugh more than gasp.
So, if you don't mind a laughably bad movie with a decently creepy-looking monster, I'd say give this a watch. And as a horror buff, I'm glad I saw this.
So, if you don't mind a laughably bad movie with a decently creepy-looking monster, I'd say give this a watch. And as a horror buff, I'm glad I saw this.
Awful
tornsaeteurn22 October 2018
"The Ring" meets "Slenderman" meets a waste of time
guarnot21 October 2018
So toward the start of the movie, one girls asks, "Have you heard about the song that kills you if you sing it?" Hmm... substitute "video" for "song" and "watch" for "sing," and you have a used premise. And the Crooked Man himself bears a striking resemblance to another legendary figure that kills people. There IS something of a plot here-kids unwittingly unleash an evil force, it kills a bunch of people until the protagonists (this is NOT a spoiler alert) figure out a way to stop it, and then they do. Somehow, the fact that the production values are pretty good and the cast is adequate makes this even more frustrating.
I'm glad Michael Jai White made some pocket change for his blink-and-you-might-miss-it appearance. But they really didn't give him much to do. He didn't even take his shirt off.
(Well, I was at home with a cold, and it let me pass two hours without having to think. That's my excuse. If you watch this movie, what's yours?)
I'm glad Michael Jai White made some pocket change for his blink-and-you-might-miss-it appearance. But they really didn't give him much to do. He didn't even take his shirt off.
(Well, I was at home with a cold, and it let me pass two hours without having to think. That's my excuse. If you watch this movie, what's yours?)
A Fun Movie, Though You've Seen It All Before...
P3n-E-W1s319 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This was a better film than I thought it would be. As soon as I saw the SyFy tag, I thought, OH OH!!! So it was a good day as I was pleasantly surprised by this little film.
Though it follows plenty of other movies in the genre, particularly The Ring, Candyman, and Bloody Mary, the lightness with which the subject is directed make this a stronger film, than a run-of-the-mill clone.
Instead of watching a video or saying a name into a mirror a few times you have to sing the song which will kill you. Seems like a daft thing to do... I mean it's known as "The Song That Will Kill You." But when you're a girl having a sleepover with her girlfriends and mum stops you watching scary films, what else will you do... especially if you're dared. No sooner has the song been sung than the Crooked Man is hunting. Unfortunately for our heroine, the Crooked Man makes good his escape leaving her stood over the dead body of her friend, with a bloody dripping knife in her hand.
Years later, she returns to her hometown where she realises the Crooked Man has been a patient killer. On her arrival, people start dying again.
As I previously stated, it's the direction along with the above average acting that keep this boat from sinking. There are four decent actors on the cast, though their skills aren't used much, Dina Meyer, Marco Rodriguez, Amber Benson, and Michael Jai White (who gets top billing). These get very little air time as it's the youngsters the film is about, as it should be. Though at times, all of the newbies, have scenes where they falter and the director decided not to shoot again. These are few and far between and mostly don't occur at pivotal moments of the story.
The main drawback is the Song itself as it's a Nursery Rhyme, though it doesn't depict a killer, in fact, the opposite is true. The Rhyme is about Sir Alexander Leslie who resolved the religious and political freedom of Scotland. So this Hollywood bastardisation of an English Nursery Rhyme stuck in my claw. The writers could have looked up the origin and worked out a different hook for the Crooked Man, but that might have been too much work...
Another thing that disrupts the flow of the film is the location of the Crooked House. Saying the rhyme and the spirit are worldwide, I find it amazing that the House is within driving distance. The location crew couldn't find a crooked tree next to a couple of rocks where the animators could render a CGI Crooked House. So they got them to render all of the above in a field. Bad luck for them, the budget must have been blown on the Crooked Man's disjointed movements, which works really well, they should have added bone cracking sounds to it as well, it would've made it nastier. The crew would've been better getting the polystyrene rocks and fake tree from the Original Star Trek as the CGI landscape was pathetic.
That said, I did like the way the heroine could defeat the Crooked Man, though I've seen differing takes on this feature, it was put to good use.
All-in-all, it's not too bad a film. It was wet and cold outside when I watched the movie and even though there were times when I was annoyed I was never bored. So if you find yourself in this situation, turn the lights down, leave your brain at the door, and cuddle up with a loved one and enjoy.
Though it follows plenty of other movies in the genre, particularly The Ring, Candyman, and Bloody Mary, the lightness with which the subject is directed make this a stronger film, than a run-of-the-mill clone.
Instead of watching a video or saying a name into a mirror a few times you have to sing the song which will kill you. Seems like a daft thing to do... I mean it's known as "The Song That Will Kill You." But when you're a girl having a sleepover with her girlfriends and mum stops you watching scary films, what else will you do... especially if you're dared. No sooner has the song been sung than the Crooked Man is hunting. Unfortunately for our heroine, the Crooked Man makes good his escape leaving her stood over the dead body of her friend, with a bloody dripping knife in her hand.
Years later, she returns to her hometown where she realises the Crooked Man has been a patient killer. On her arrival, people start dying again.
As I previously stated, it's the direction along with the above average acting that keep this boat from sinking. There are four decent actors on the cast, though their skills aren't used much, Dina Meyer, Marco Rodriguez, Amber Benson, and Michael Jai White (who gets top billing). These get very little air time as it's the youngsters the film is about, as it should be. Though at times, all of the newbies, have scenes where they falter and the director decided not to shoot again. These are few and far between and mostly don't occur at pivotal moments of the story.
The main drawback is the Song itself as it's a Nursery Rhyme, though it doesn't depict a killer, in fact, the opposite is true. The Rhyme is about Sir Alexander Leslie who resolved the religious and political freedom of Scotland. So this Hollywood bastardisation of an English Nursery Rhyme stuck in my claw. The writers could have looked up the origin and worked out a different hook for the Crooked Man, but that might have been too much work...
Another thing that disrupts the flow of the film is the location of the Crooked House. Saying the rhyme and the spirit are worldwide, I find it amazing that the House is within driving distance. The location crew couldn't find a crooked tree next to a couple of rocks where the animators could render a CGI Crooked House. So they got them to render all of the above in a field. Bad luck for them, the budget must have been blown on the Crooked Man's disjointed movements, which works really well, they should have added bone cracking sounds to it as well, it would've made it nastier. The crew would've been better getting the polystyrene rocks and fake tree from the Original Star Trek as the CGI landscape was pathetic.
That said, I did like the way the heroine could defeat the Crooked Man, though I've seen differing takes on this feature, it was put to good use.
All-in-all, it's not too bad a film. It was wet and cold outside when I watched the movie and even though there were times when I was annoyed I was never bored. So if you find yourself in this situation, turn the lights down, leave your brain at the door, and cuddle up with a loved one and enjoy.
Average Horror Flick with a Visually Impressive Villain
jason-21031 October 2018
If he girl's was 12 how old is he?
plasssaskia27 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
One question I went away asking was how old was the brother. The protagonist even said that she went to school with his sister so how old was he??. When she got out she was 18 so I'm curious as to how old he was . Some of the characters made stupid mistakes like the one friend who thought she would be safe so she left home and stayed in a motel. She was even told to stay in the light but turned off the lamp when it was time to sleep. When the crooked man come then she remembers oh I need it. The other friend her mother took away her phone before the lights went off. she didn't bother ask her back for it but was depending on a candle for light. Wouldn't the phone light be better or both?
Fun if slightly flawed effort
kannibalcorpsegrinder2 October 2016
After getting released from an asylum, a troubled woman attempting to get her life back in order becomes convinced the entity that framed her for murdering her friend is back finishing the job and races to find a way of stopping it to save her friends.
For the most part this one was quite the enjoyable effort. What really works well here is the fact that there's quite an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere present here that makes for quite a fun and engaging time here. That comes along mostly from the titular creature itself, which is quite the impressive and chilling entity that works really well in delivering a solid concept for a horror villain as the static-y look and disjointed appearance go hand-in- hand with the spectacular nursery rhyme that accompanies him as there's an incredibly strong mystery about him and his appearance here which makes for a rather imposing villain. As well as the strong visuals and the great villain, there's a lot to really like here in regards to how much action plays a part of this one as the encounters here are truly top-notch. The opening sleepover backstory that sets up the whole film is highly atmospheric and works with some fine nightmarish images in the blackout and the poem setting everything in motion before showing the actual killer getting in a nice shock, the scene with the creature appearing in the hospital is rather chilling and the rather frenzied and chilling attack in the singer's dressing room is a nice showstopper that spreads itself quite nicely with it's rather stylish setting and brutal actions. That carries along into the other attacks on the friends throughout here, with the friends all getting creepy attacks by the creature as well with their all being done in the darkness forcing along some really atmospheric times here, and that sets up the big scene at the end where he's confronted in the dilapidated house where the brawling makes for quite a fun time while the tactics employed against him is quite an enjoyable and impressive outing overall. Alongside the great kills which are quite brutal and intense throughout here, these manage to make this one fast-paced and enjoyable enough to really enjoy it over the few minor flaws. The main issue with the film here is the fact that it really doesn't make sense why the film's rampage is halted when she leaves the group, as it's given a minor gloss-over yet it doesn't have a definitive answer that really makes any sense. This is a rather big problem and isn't really explained at all which is a rather big issue to have here since that pretty much carries along throughout the movie as a whole. Likewise, the fact that her friends are so hostile following the revelation of the deaths to each other and her stories are given some semblance of reality, yet they still carry on without much change in attitude which really isn't that enjoyable coming off as yet another incarnation of the cliché. Other than these minor issues, this one was quite a bit of fun.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.
For the most part this one was quite the enjoyable effort. What really works well here is the fact that there's quite an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere present here that makes for quite a fun and engaging time here. That comes along mostly from the titular creature itself, which is quite the impressive and chilling entity that works really well in delivering a solid concept for a horror villain as the static-y look and disjointed appearance go hand-in- hand with the spectacular nursery rhyme that accompanies him as there's an incredibly strong mystery about him and his appearance here which makes for a rather imposing villain. As well as the strong visuals and the great villain, there's a lot to really like here in regards to how much action plays a part of this one as the encounters here are truly top-notch. The opening sleepover backstory that sets up the whole film is highly atmospheric and works with some fine nightmarish images in the blackout and the poem setting everything in motion before showing the actual killer getting in a nice shock, the scene with the creature appearing in the hospital is rather chilling and the rather frenzied and chilling attack in the singer's dressing room is a nice showstopper that spreads itself quite nicely with it's rather stylish setting and brutal actions. That carries along into the other attacks on the friends throughout here, with the friends all getting creepy attacks by the creature as well with their all being done in the darkness forcing along some really atmospheric times here, and that sets up the big scene at the end where he's confronted in the dilapidated house where the brawling makes for quite a fun time while the tactics employed against him is quite an enjoyable and impressive outing overall. Alongside the great kills which are quite brutal and intense throughout here, these manage to make this one fast-paced and enjoyable enough to really enjoy it over the few minor flaws. The main issue with the film here is the fact that it really doesn't make sense why the film's rampage is halted when she leaves the group, as it's given a minor gloss-over yet it doesn't have a definitive answer that really makes any sense. This is a rather big problem and isn't really explained at all which is a rather big issue to have here since that pretty much carries along throughout the movie as a whole. Likewise, the fact that her friends are so hostile following the revelation of the deaths to each other and her stories are given some semblance of reality, yet they still carry on without much change in attitude which really isn't that enjoyable coming off as yet another incarnation of the cliché. Other than these minor issues, this one was quite a bit of fun.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.
Not bad but could've'e been improved in areas
gerry_barnaby15 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Likes : "Beware Beware the crooked man is coming for your soul" I'l give credit where credit is due director Jesse Holland has done their best with this film, although this movie lack the certain things that make a horror film creepy although it's not a bad movie to watch.
A slumber party for 12 year old girls turn from a fun time in to a nightmare as one of the girls dare's the other to sing a creepy song , this is no ordinary song "oh no!" this is a song with a curse of the crooked man if you sing his song the crooked man come for you and everyone around you which is what the whole theme of this film is about.
Some areas of this film is good giving the acting is pretty average with the script writing , if you remember ("conjuring 2 Enfield poltergeist") this very nursery song if you can call it that was mention in that film in a creepy way.
The film quality is very low budget special from the IPF industry as some of the effect are from the low C.G.I range , Im surprised to actually see Michael Jai White in this film playing Milo who trying to stop this supernatural crooked man. Normal when you see Micheal in a film it normal the martial art type films but it's a welcome change even tho it's a cameo role for him really as he doesn't have many scenes.
The atmosphere of the film is slightly creepy with the crooked man him self , which the concept for a horror villain as this static-y look and disjointed appearance go hand-in- hand with the spectacular nursery rhyme that accompanies him.
Although the visual effect in this film aren't real high budget which is a ashame but this film does have that syfy channel feel to it , which this may appeal to some people but this was a one time watch for me. One thing this film does offer to horror fans in the brutal bloody scene which most horror fans will be happy with , it does offer some creepiness in part so this will depend on whether this film is your taste or not but i wouldn't expect anything special here.
Dislikes : The film does start off creepy but where this film fails is this creepiness start to fade as the film goes on , this is partly because of the visual effect on the crooked man which i feel could have been done better.
I mean this is a way if you look at "conjuring 2" we saw a brief figure of the crooked man walking down the corner now this i done with C.G.I it look creepy, this if I'm honest should've been what this concept should of looked like the film and atmosphere would be better through the whole film.
There is a flaw in this film concept that didn't make sense , since one of the character left the town everything stop which is a bit odd because in reality this thing wouldn't of stop which is mentioned in the film by Micheal character which is a big flaw in this film.
Overall : Don't expect anything special , not a bad film but could've been improved in areas
A slumber party for 12 year old girls turn from a fun time in to a nightmare as one of the girls dare's the other to sing a creepy song , this is no ordinary song "oh no!" this is a song with a curse of the crooked man if you sing his song the crooked man come for you and everyone around you which is what the whole theme of this film is about.
Some areas of this film is good giving the acting is pretty average with the script writing , if you remember ("conjuring 2 Enfield poltergeist") this very nursery song if you can call it that was mention in that film in a creepy way.
The film quality is very low budget special from the IPF industry as some of the effect are from the low C.G.I range , Im surprised to actually see Michael Jai White in this film playing Milo who trying to stop this supernatural crooked man. Normal when you see Micheal in a film it normal the martial art type films but it's a welcome change even tho it's a cameo role for him really as he doesn't have many scenes.
The atmosphere of the film is slightly creepy with the crooked man him self , which the concept for a horror villain as this static-y look and disjointed appearance go hand-in- hand with the spectacular nursery rhyme that accompanies him.
Although the visual effect in this film aren't real high budget which is a ashame but this film does have that syfy channel feel to it , which this may appeal to some people but this was a one time watch for me. One thing this film does offer to horror fans in the brutal bloody scene which most horror fans will be happy with , it does offer some creepiness in part so this will depend on whether this film is your taste or not but i wouldn't expect anything special here.
Dislikes : The film does start off creepy but where this film fails is this creepiness start to fade as the film goes on , this is partly because of the visual effect on the crooked man which i feel could have been done better.
I mean this is a way if you look at "conjuring 2" we saw a brief figure of the crooked man walking down the corner now this i done with C.G.I it look creepy, this if I'm honest should've been what this concept should of looked like the film and atmosphere would be better through the whole film.
There is a flaw in this film concept that didn't make sense , since one of the character left the town everything stop which is a bit odd because in reality this thing wouldn't of stop which is mentioned in the film by Micheal character which is a big flaw in this film.
Overall : Don't expect anything special , not a bad film but could've been improved in areas
And then there were none
TheLittleSongbird8 June 2018
Saw 'The Crooked Man', being fond of horror regardless of budget (even if not my favourite genre) and being intrigued somewhat by the idea. Being behind on my film watching and reviewing, with a long to watch and review list that keeps getting longer, it took me a while to get round to watching and reviewing it.
Giving 'The Crooked Man' a fair chance with being interest and apprehension, it turned out to be far better than expected. Won't say that 'The Crooked Man' is a great film (mediocre actually) because it isn't and the potential, while not wasted, is not fully lived up to. Considering the large number of films seen recently being mediocre and less and wasting potential, was expecting worse and was relieved that while wanting in a fair few areas it was actually one of my better recent low-budget viewings.
'The Crooked Man' started off quite well, the first twenty minutes or so starting the film off on a promising, unsettling and atmospheric note that really does intrigue.
Production values did have some eeriness and nowhere near as cheap as expected.
The setting is effectively spooky. Initially, there are spooky and suspenseful moments, it isn't dull, and the storytelling in the first half does intrigue.
However, the story was severely wanting in the second half after starting off promisingly. It is very disjointed and after the promising start the final third especially loses atmosphere, one loses interest and things start to not make sense. Too much of the film is vague and doesn't explore some elements and story strands enough, some dropped soon after being introduced, go nowhere or serve much point.
Ending is unsatisfying, on top of feeling hasty there are too many loose ends hanging in the air. Got the sense that the writers didn't know how to end the film. Would have liked much more tension and suspense (where there is barely any of either), scares could have been more consistent (again nowhere near enough) and some weren't surprising enough and had no atmosphere, the over-obvious sound not helping.
Found too the script to lack natural flow and with a fair bit of cheese and blandness going on, and the characters bland with some adopting some annoying and not always logical decision making. There is very little menace to the villain, the direction is phoned and generally the acting is subpar with Michael Jai White being little more than a barely used commercial device seemingly.
Overall, mediocre. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Giving 'The Crooked Man' a fair chance with being interest and apprehension, it turned out to be far better than expected. Won't say that 'The Crooked Man' is a great film (mediocre actually) because it isn't and the potential, while not wasted, is not fully lived up to. Considering the large number of films seen recently being mediocre and less and wasting potential, was expecting worse and was relieved that while wanting in a fair few areas it was actually one of my better recent low-budget viewings.
'The Crooked Man' started off quite well, the first twenty minutes or so starting the film off on a promising, unsettling and atmospheric note that really does intrigue.
Production values did have some eeriness and nowhere near as cheap as expected.
The setting is effectively spooky. Initially, there are spooky and suspenseful moments, it isn't dull, and the storytelling in the first half does intrigue.
However, the story was severely wanting in the second half after starting off promisingly. It is very disjointed and after the promising start the final third especially loses atmosphere, one loses interest and things start to not make sense. Too much of the film is vague and doesn't explore some elements and story strands enough, some dropped soon after being introduced, go nowhere or serve much point.
Ending is unsatisfying, on top of feeling hasty there are too many loose ends hanging in the air. Got the sense that the writers didn't know how to end the film. Would have liked much more tension and suspense (where there is barely any of either), scares could have been more consistent (again nowhere near enough) and some weren't surprising enough and had no atmosphere, the over-obvious sound not helping.
Found too the script to lack natural flow and with a fair bit of cheese and blandness going on, and the characters bland with some adopting some annoying and not always logical decision making. There is very little menace to the villain, the direction is phoned and generally the acting is subpar with Michael Jai White being little more than a barely used commercial device seemingly.
Overall, mediocre. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Not worth watching to the end
banglainey26 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I always am looking for a new horror villain in the likeness of Kreuger himself, and thought this might be it- however, it was just bad. Bad writing, bad directing.
It's a very predictable plot, so there's no surprise or suspense; as the description says, friends at a sleepover summon "The Crooked Man" as kids, years later he returns, they regroup and come up with a way to stop him and everyone is happy ever after. I just saved you from wasting 2 hours of your life.
It's a very predictable plot, so there's no surprise or suspense; as the description says, friends at a sleepover summon "The Crooked Man" as kids, years later he returns, they regroup and come up with a way to stop him and everyone is happy ever after. I just saved you from wasting 2 hours of your life.
No Rhyme. No Reason.
nogodnomasters26 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is a SyFy made for TV production. Crooked man is a combination of "Ring" and Slender Man with a touch of Freddy. A group of 12 year old screaming young ladies at a sleep over summon Crooked Man on a dare. Crooked Man is a non-certified electrician and killer who only lives in the shadows. The summoner is killed and six years later Crooked man is hunting down everyone at the household and their mum. Why 6 years later is poorly explained by Michael Jai White in what is slightly more than a cameo role.
The story is a twist or combination of stories that we know. Crooked Man is an ugly horror figure and could have been much more in an "R" film. There is nothing bad about the film, other than the pace seemed a bit slow which could have been better by shaving a few seconds here and there.
Guide: No F-words, sex, or nudity. One use of SOB.
The story is a twist or combination of stories that we know. Crooked Man is an ugly horror figure and could have been much more in an "R" film. There is nothing bad about the film, other than the pace seemed a bit slow which could have been better by shaving a few seconds here and there.
Guide: No F-words, sex, or nudity. One use of SOB.
Decent but prosaic TV horror with King Diamond as the monster (sort of)
Wuchakk3 May 2019
A 12 year-old girl is blamed for the death of a friend at a slumber party that was actually committed by a demonic entity called the Crooked Man. Six years later she returns to live with her dad, but the creature also returns to kill anyone in town who was at the slumber party. Angelique Rivera plays the protagonist, Cameron Jebo her rookie cop friend and Michael Jai White a man linked to the unleashing of the demon. Amber Benson is on hand as the mother of the original victim.
"The Crooked Man" (2016) is marginally superior to contemporaneous SyFy flicks like "The Hollow," "The Night Before Halloween," "Neverknock" and "Stickman" because it's not as half-baked and the gobbledygook makes more sense. Everything is taken seriously, which is good in my book, and the demon creature is certainly creepy. He curiously looks like a shaky, tall version of King Diamond in his top hat. Another positive is the inclusion of curvy Dia Frampton as Mia and petite cutie Alexis Wilkins as Alice.
Meanwhile Angelique is serviceable as the heroine, but the story doesn't build up enough drive to give it a higher grade. It's well done for what it is, a TV horror flick, but it needed more oomph and imagination to pull it out of its run-of-the-mill state.
The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes and was shot in Southern Cal.
GRADE: C+
"The Crooked Man" (2016) is marginally superior to contemporaneous SyFy flicks like "The Hollow," "The Night Before Halloween," "Neverknock" and "Stickman" because it's not as half-baked and the gobbledygook makes more sense. Everything is taken seriously, which is good in my book, and the demon creature is certainly creepy. He curiously looks like a shaky, tall version of King Diamond in his top hat. Another positive is the inclusion of curvy Dia Frampton as Mia and petite cutie Alexis Wilkins as Alice.
Meanwhile Angelique is serviceable as the heroine, but the story doesn't build up enough drive to give it a higher grade. It's well done for what it is, a TV horror flick, but it needed more oomph and imagination to pull it out of its run-of-the-mill state.
The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes and was shot in Southern Cal.
GRADE: C+
The writing, dialogue and acting are all absolutely terrible
kevin_robbins22 June 2022
Crooked Man (2016) is currently available on Tubi. The storyline follows a children's nursery rhyme that causes the Crooked Man to appear and begin killing. When a group of young girls sing the rhyme one of the children is killed and another young lady is blamed for the murder. Years later a series of murders start happening where the original child died. The young lady returns to her original home to try and stop the Crooked Man.
This movie is directed by Jesse Holland (Yellow Brick Road) and stars Michael Jai White (Spawn), Angelique Rivera (Eat Brains Love), Cameron Jebo (NCIS), Reilly Brooke Stith (Orange is the New Black) and Amber Benson (The Crush).
This storyline feels like it was stolen directly from A Nightmare on Elm Street. The premise of the movie is very average. I did enjoy the Crooked Man, though he looked like the creature from Jeepers Creepers. They did do a good with his makeup and mouth motions that made him creepy. The writing, dialogue and acting are all absolutely terrible, unfortunately.
Overall this is a below average addition to the horror genre that's only worth watching for horror genre diehards. I would score this a 3/10 and recommend skipping.
This movie is directed by Jesse Holland (Yellow Brick Road) and stars Michael Jai White (Spawn), Angelique Rivera (Eat Brains Love), Cameron Jebo (NCIS), Reilly Brooke Stith (Orange is the New Black) and Amber Benson (The Crush).
This storyline feels like it was stolen directly from A Nightmare on Elm Street. The premise of the movie is very average. I did enjoy the Crooked Man, though he looked like the creature from Jeepers Creepers. They did do a good with his makeup and mouth motions that made him creepy. The writing, dialogue and acting are all absolutely terrible, unfortunately.
Overall this is a below average addition to the horror genre that's only worth watching for horror genre diehards. I would score this a 3/10 and recommend skipping.
Worst movie ever
Shauna576324 August 2022
It's.... Okay
Gislef16 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The movie reminded me of the SyFy series 'Channel Zero'. Particularly the end: the shot of the Crooked House in a field looked like the staircase in 'Channel Zero'
Cinematography aside, however, the plot was pretty straightforward and typical. A supernatural serial killer is unwittingly manifested and kills off those that summoned it. I think they've done it on 'Supernatural' a few times. And the Crooked Man himself was fairly creepy and well-presented. But it made no sense. It can't stand the light. Why? The music box summons and unsummons it. Why? Nothing in the vague back story that Michael Jai White's character gives provides any explanation, or even hinted-at reason. The Crooked Man just... is.
Speaking of Michael Jai White, why was he in this movie except to pay for that new big-screen TV he probably bought with his paycheck. His character has no personality, no backstory, no development. He's there, he lurks around the edges, he provides some exposition as a "Magic Negro" and then that's it for him. The focus is on the main characters, Olivia and Noah, who of course fall in wuv with each other. Sigh.
And we have the hostile police chief and father. Who suspects Olivia of at least one of the murders even when his own son provided her with an alibi. The father exists just to provide some conflict.
Overall, 'The Crooked Man' is a forgettable little trifle.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Cinematography aside, however, the plot was pretty straightforward and typical. A supernatural serial killer is unwittingly manifested and kills off those that summoned it. I think they've done it on 'Supernatural' a few times. And the Crooked Man himself was fairly creepy and well-presented. But it made no sense. It can't stand the light. Why? The music box summons and unsummons it. Why? Nothing in the vague back story that Michael Jai White's character gives provides any explanation, or even hinted-at reason. The Crooked Man just... is.
Speaking of Michael Jai White, why was he in this movie except to pay for that new big-screen TV he probably bought with his paycheck. His character has no personality, no backstory, no development. He's there, he lurks around the edges, he provides some exposition as a "Magic Negro" and then that's it for him. The focus is on the main characters, Olivia and Noah, who of course fall in wuv with each other. Sigh.
And we have the hostile police chief and father. Who suspects Olivia of at least one of the murders even when his own son provided her with an alibi. The father exists just to provide some conflict.
Overall, 'The Crooked Man' is a forgettable little trifle.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
I'm too sober for this
Chez_Kyber_Dixon22 May 2023
The acting is TERRIBLE, the plot is ridiculous and stupidly fast paced. To get into a bar, all you have to say is "our friend is in danger!", you can get a tech in a police station to easily hack someone's IP. Its all just laughable.
The boogeyman isn't even scary. The part that's meant to be scary, him "glitching" is just absolutely terrible.
The way the street just crumpled, then casually asking a woman who's jogging: "Did you see that?!"
The one thing that irked me the most, is how the protagonist wore her bike helmet... the straps were so loose.
Just overall, very, very bad. Maybe if the acting was better, the movie would've turned out alright.
The boogeyman isn't even scary. The part that's meant to be scary, him "glitching" is just absolutely terrible.
The way the street just crumpled, then casually asking a woman who's jogging: "Did you see that?!"
The one thing that irked me the most, is how the protagonist wore her bike helmet... the straps were so loose.
Just overall, very, very bad. Maybe if the acting was better, the movie would've turned out alright.
I just have a quick question for all of you
jm-615966 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
First of all I love this story becausee I love the dark
fairytales... I have watched this movie ALOT and after all of the time s I still do not have the clear answer to my question.. The question is does anyone know if Noah has feelings for Olivia?¿? He was the one who pulled away during the first kiss and the second one he was waiting for the policeman to leave and it didnt last even a second longer then it had to... I have watched and rewatched this movie to tried to come to a conclusion but I just can't and of course there isnt much online about this movie.. Does anyone out in wonderland know what the answer to this question... Please help me in m because I think that it will drive me crazy.
Crooked Man? More like overly tall man.
ducky-103-86293019 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Good lord.
First off.... the age progression was terrible.. from 12 to 18... yet they are obviously much older than that... it seemed more like a 10-15 year age progression.
Second- They wanted some kind of romance so they threw in Noah.. the chemistry was terrible. He wasn't there for it, you could tell...awkward af..... Third- The Crooked Man. Yikes. Not scary yikes.. but I what were they thinking kind of yikes. Why was he glitchy sometimes but other times not? When I hear crooked man with a crooked spine, I kind of expect to see a crooked looking man with a crooked spine... not an overly tall man with long fingers.
I love watching cheesy movies, but this one was not only cheesy but just badly done....
First off.... the age progression was terrible.. from 12 to 18... yet they are obviously much older than that... it seemed more like a 10-15 year age progression.
Second- They wanted some kind of romance so they threw in Noah.. the chemistry was terrible. He wasn't there for it, you could tell...awkward af..... Third- The Crooked Man. Yikes. Not scary yikes.. but I what were they thinking kind of yikes. Why was he glitchy sometimes but other times not? When I hear crooked man with a crooked spine, I kind of expect to see a crooked looking man with a crooked spine... not an overly tall man with long fingers.
I love watching cheesy movies, but this one was not only cheesy but just badly done....
Reviewing this as the crappy B movie it is
robinhio84_1 October 2022
When reviewing movies normally we can talk about ACTING, MUSIC, STORY, GRAPHICS and whatsoever.
Reviewing a title like that would kinda miss the point. It's a "crappy" horror movie. Which is part of the genre.
So when to watch this movie: when you are looking for a movie where you can pay half attention. The story is not good, nor is the acting.
But sometimes that doesn't matter. Watching this movie is entertaining because it is cringe and sometimes that exactly what we need.
It seems like the movie isn't taking itself very serious either. The plot is messy and the CGI is low budget (well done effort though).
Are you looking for a good horror movie, skip this one, but if ur up for a fun watch this can be it.
Reviewing a title like that would kinda miss the point. It's a "crappy" horror movie. Which is part of the genre.
So when to watch this movie: when you are looking for a movie where you can pay half attention. The story is not good, nor is the acting.
But sometimes that doesn't matter. Watching this movie is entertaining because it is cringe and sometimes that exactly what we need.
It seems like the movie isn't taking itself very serious either. The plot is messy and the CGI is low budget (well done effort though).
Are you looking for a good horror movie, skip this one, but if ur up for a fun watch this can be it.
Watched it so you don't have to...
freedomwriter-1144210 September 2022
This movie is easily one of the worst movie I have ever watch. Bad actings especially the lead actress with her exaggerated facial expression. The movie is too convenient and apparently the curse can be paused when the lead actress is in asylum. Few research in the library and few clicks on the computer at the police station and they found the source. One visit to the house and they found the music box, random 2 rocks and a pine tree and the lead actor conveniently knew the location because he was a boyscout and visited the place before. Not to mention the crooked man only appeared where there's light, is it coincidence of they copy the scene in Lights out? This movie is such a waste of time and painful to watch.
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