By Jay’Mi Vazquez
Managing Editor
photo | Instagram
Promotional photo for the first “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” film.
In recent years, a somewhat disturbing trend has emerged in horror films: the appropriation of beloved childhood characters for shock value.
What once sparked joy in children has now become a source of fear, and it is time directors confronted the reality that these films often fall flat.
The horror genre thrives on innovation and creativity, but these productions are pathetic, uninspired cash grabs capitalizing on our fondness for the past rather than expanding the narrative landscape.
From “The Mouse Trap” to “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,” filmmakers seem to think that slapping a beloved character into a horror narrative is a surefire way to draw audiences. Yet, more often than not, the results are cringe-worthy at best and offensive at worst.
“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” had a sequel film this year, which to noone’s surprise was subpar. The original film in the series was also poorly received because it relied on cheap scares and over-the-top gore.
Not only that, but when a character like Winnie the Pooh is transformed into a maniacal killer, it raises more questions than it answers. Such as, why would anyone want to watch Christopher Robin being abused by Winnie the Pooh? It’s just ridiculous.
This kind of reinterpretation strips away the connection children have had with these well-loved characters.
It is one thing to explore darker themes through established characters, such as the dream demon, serial killer and murderous man in a ghost mask, but it is another entirely to force these figures into narratives that do not honor their original essence.
“The Mouse Trap,” which also released this year, turns Mickey Mouse into a killer. This idea is nonsensical for similar reasons because nobody believes Mickey Mouse could be a slasher.
Not only are these films terrible ideas to begin with, but they often also include terrible casting and plots. Part of the reason why these films are terrible is because of the budgets these films work with.
They are all usually low-budget films. So, they usually look “good” in one aspect alone: marketing which tries to bait people into watching these monstrosities.
The overspending on this singular aspect leaves everything else in these films’ production lacking.
The characters more often than not also look terrible. In “Winnie the Pooh: Blood in Honey,” Pooh and Piglet are clearly just two guys wearing goofy rubber masks. The same goes for “The Mouse Trap,” as Mickey Mouse just looks like a guy in a cheap suit.
In conclusion, the trend of repurposing iconic childhood characters for horror films is not just misguided; it is detrimental to the entire horror genre and its audience.
Rather than creating good horror, these types of films produce often forgettable, uninspired and unnecessary wastes of time for viewers. These films should be taken more as a joke rather than a serious watch for horror fans.
VOL. 64- ISSUE 5
