Bambi: The Reckoning

A concept so ridiculous the only choice it had was to look itself in the mirror and recognize what it is, Instead it fools itself and to believing it could be a grand demonstration of its genre. But with a Weak opening, weak progression, weak execution, weak characters, weak plot, weak kills, and a weak climax, and with how serious it takes itself, This movie couldn't even hope to be middle of the road. But at least it is a well-rounded waste of everyone's time.

Deceptive though it might seem, high camp can be a tricky artform to pull off successfully on screen, especially in genres like horror and sci-fi. It requires deftly managed, evenly sustained pacing - not necessarily at the breakneck speed of a screwball comedy, but certainly steady in its regular dispensing of delicious nuggets of wry and macabre wit with bridge segments in between them that move the story along without overstaying their welcome. Sadly, however, in his fourth feature outing, director Dan Allen only gets this down pat about half of the time in this twisted and sinister retelling of the classic Felix Salten 1923 novel about a motherless roe coping with life in the forest. In this ghoulish iteration of the tale, a divorced mother (Roxanne McKee) and her 13-year-old son (Tom Mulheron) are on their way to visit her in-laws' family after her ex-husband (Adrian Relph) summarily ditches his promise to spend the weekend with the boy. However, the duo's journey is interrupted when their ride is brazenly attacked on a remote roadway by a ferocious mutant adult stag that looks like something out of the "Jurassic Park/Jurassic World" movies only with cheesier special effects (but with a supremely stylish set of hooves that resemble those in the inner sleeve artwork from the Rolling Stones' Tattoo You LP (1981)). Not only does the woodland monster go after the stunned mother and son, but also all of their relatives, including the family matriarch (Nicola Wright), who suffers from a form of dementia but seems to have an unusual (but unexplained) psychic bond to Bambi. This scenario is further complicated by a band of apparent bounty hunters who are charged with capturing and/or killing the creature, as well as other equally gruesome wild animals that have also mysteriously mutated, including a pack of rabbits whose carnivorous proclivities put the bunny from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) to shame. The reasons behind the hunt don't become clear until well into the film (after more than enough of the aforementioned protracted narrative hammocks), but they nonetheless provide the absent justification behind much of the story (as well as the source of Bambi's unrepentant rage), making for a final act that compensates for many of the picture's prior shortcomings. To its credit, the film's campy elements are well done, but there just aren't enough of them and they're a little too loosely strung together (at least initially), almost feeling as if the in-between sequences amount to little more than excessive padding to fill out the runtime. In addition, there's a certain predictability to the narrative wherein it's easy to guess who's going to get done in and when, as well as who ultimately ends up surviving the ordeal. I was also somewhat puzzled by the preponderance of F-bombs scattered throughout the screenplay, a count that rivals "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013) at times, particularly for a story involving younger characters. These issues are somewhat made up for by the inclusion of several surprisingly touching moments, an unexpectedly nice counterpart to the graphic (but generally in-context) gratuitousness that pervades the film, often depicted in colorful and cleverly raucous ways (remember what I said about those bunnies). Indeed, those who enjoy their horror with a touch of dark humor are sure to enjoy this production from the makers of the "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" films, though don't be disappointed if you still come away from it hungering for a little more, especially in light of this offering's scant 1:21:00 duration. Nevertheless, come the movie's end, don't be surprised if you still find yourself heaving a heavy sigh and heartily exclaiming "Deer me!"

Granted, I had absolutely zero expectations to this 2025 horror movie, solely because of the movie's title. I mean, the recent years string of turning children's books into horror stories haven't exactly been stellar movies. But still, I opted to watch "Bambi: The Reckoning" solely because it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen. And thus is the curse of being a fan of all things horror.

Writers Felix Salten and Rhys Warrington put together a rather straightforward script and storyline. It actually wasn't as bad as you might expect from a movie with a title such as "Bambi: The Reckoning". Just don't expect anything award-winning here, and you're good to go.

Of the entire cast ensemble in the movie, I was only familiar with Nicola Wright. Yeah, I've seen more than my share of low budget and questionable movies to be familiar with her. The acting performances in the movie were fair.

The effects in the movie were fair, not great, but fair enough for what they were. The design of Bambi was certainly interesting enough and added something to the movie. But some of the CGI animated scenes looked a bit questionable at times.

"Bambi: The Reckoning" was actually a watchable movie, if you don't sit down with a bunch of expectations to the movie. Not a phenomenally great movie, mind you, but watchable for the campy stuff that it was. Watchable, yes, but hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing. Nor is it a movie that I would recommend horror fans to rush out and get to watch.

My rating of director Dan Allen's 2025 movie "Bambi: The Reckoning" lands on a four out of ten stars.

This movie knows what it is, and makes the most out it. It's fun, and entertaining. One of those movies you enjoy watching with a group of friends after a party.

This movie doesn't pretend to be artsy in the name of film making unlike most of A24 horror movies these days. The actors are surprisingly good except for few, most of whom die pretty early on anyway. While the CGI is nothing amazing, compared to some of the rushed Marvel projects, it certainly is comparable.

Bambi: The Reckoning had a few decent moments, but overall it fell flat due to a lack of depth and emotional connection. The story felt underdeveloped, with barely any world-building or explanation around the who, where, or why of what was happening. None of the characters were particularly likable or compelling.

Even the kid, who should have been a sympathetic figure, just came across as kind of a blank slate. The mom made questionable choices, especially in how she handled the broken relationship between the father and son, and that dynamic was never explored in a meaningful way. The film seemed to rely on shock or sentimentality in the final act, but it didn't earn that emotional payoff.

The ending felt heavy-handed for a movie that hadn't taken the time to make you care about anyone. I usually enjoy these B-movie horror spins on fairy tales or childhood IPs, but this one just didn't land. It lacked heart, clarity, and ultimately any real reason to get invested.