‘Punch’ VOD Review
Stars: Alina Allison, Kierston Wareing, Jamie Lomas, Faye Campbell, Macaulay Cooper, Daniel Fathers, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Mark Sears, Marc Outbreak | Written and Directed by Andy Edwards
Having previously worked on films such as Midnight Peepshow, Graphic Designs, and The Ghosts of Monday, writer/director/producer Andy Edwards opens Punch with the sight of a young woman standing on the edge of a cliff. The grief-stricken look on her face indicates that she wishes to commit suicide, although a hooded figure appears to say inform her how that is not the way to do this. As the girl moves closer to investigate, something happens which makes her scream.
After looking after her ill mother, Frankie (Alina Allison) intends to return to university and finish her degree. She wishes to spend one last night out in her coastal hometown, although her intention at patching things up with her friends, family, and ex-boyfriend is interrupted by a mysterious killer wearing a Punch and Judy mask while wielding a baseball bat.
Described as “Santa Claus for teenagers”, Mr. Punch is a local legend who is used to instil fear into the community that do not conform. There are admirable hopes in making a UK horror franchise from this antagonist, intending to follow in the footsteps of slasher icons such as Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees. There is potential with the figure, as personality shines through the electronic voice of this masked killer with moralistic views.
Such promise is difficult to find in the rough first act, as the set-up feels forcibly inserted into scenes as though they are being projectile vomited onto the screen. It feels like an uncertain way to hit the necessary beats, and it is not helped by questionable dialogue such as “What’s the matter? Someone pissed on your chips?” There is surer footing in establishing the character connections, as the relationships feel genuinely considered and helped by the performances.
Key to it is Frankie, a lead who hopes that returning to university will be the first step towards bettering herself. Those hopes fall apart when the horror elements come into play, as the character finds herself within an unstoppable nightmare that leaves her falling apart. This comes forth in constant screaming, which makes her proactive moments feel out of place as there is no natural progression, instead feeling glaringly engineered.
In this seaside town where young women repeatedly go missing, widespread abuse is perpetuated by men happy to enforce such regressive ideals, while others turn a blind eye to what does not negatively affect them. While this piece of social commentary works well, what unfortunately falls short here is a typical selling point of slasher films, the kills. While the aforementioned icons had their favoured weapon to raise the body count with, they also regularly mixed things up with various other methods. As Mr. Punch sticks to using his baseball bat in repetitive and uninventive ways, the kills sadly become one of the film’s less effective inclusions. If Punch does become the slasher franchise that the creatives hope for, here is hoping this element is rectified rather quickly.
** 2/5
Punch is out now on UK digital platforms from Miracle Media.
