The last feature film I caught at this year’s Portland Horror Film Festival was Puppet Killer. This outrageous horror comedy introduces a horror-obsessed boy who believes his puppet killed his stepmother at the family’s mountain cabin. Years later, now a teenager, the boy and his friends go to the cabin over winter break where he begins to realize he might have been right about the puppet all along.

Directed by Lisa Ovies, making her feature-film directorial debut, and written by Kevin Mosley (Suspension), Puppet Killer is the kind of horror comedy that fully commits to the bit. The most obvious and hilarious joke that runs through the entire film is the casting. The group of friends are all supposed to be teenagers, but there was a very intentional decision that was made and they are all played by adults. We’re not talking about most films casting people in their 20’s to play teens. Instead, our protagonist is played by a very tall, buff man in his 50’s and the rest of the main characters are played by actors in their 30’s and 40’s. It makes for some truly hilarious moments, such as when we first meet the friends in the high school cafeteria and are surrounded by extras who are obviously actual teenagers to highlight the actors’ true ages. Throughout the film, keen-eyed horror fans are also sure to spot a number of references to other horror classics. These Easter eggs add another level of entertainment and humor, especially as the audience watches a fuzzy pink puppet model its kills after some of our favorite horror villains.

With all the intentional silliness, it’s safe to say Puppet Killer will likely get mixed reactions from audiences. Much of the comedy has a raunchy, immature style reminiscent of comedies of the 80’s and 90’s. There are also some jokes that either don’t quite land or do land, but then get milked for a bit too long. Even if the jokes don’t always hit your funny bone, the horror elements still make for an enjoyable ride. As a gauge, if you enjoy films like The Velocipastor, then there’s a fair chance you will enjoy the humor in Puppet Killer.

Most of the performances in Puppet Killer add to the hilarity. Aleks Paunovic (Hawkeye, War of the Planet of the Apes) stars as traumatized “teenager,” Jamie. This character is hilarious because Paunovic is a big, burly guy in his 50’s playing such a timid, kind teenage boy. The bizarre juxtaposition not only make the character funny, but it also somehow makes Jamie seem more endearing. It’s difficult to not feel bad for Jamie with all he’s been through and continues to go through during the film. Another standout performance come from Lee Majdoub (Sonic the Hedgehog, The 100) both playing Jamie’s friend Curtis and doing the voice of the killer puppet, Simon. While Majdoub is great as Curtis, his voice-acting as Simon is where he really shines. He uses a high, innocent-sounding voice for the puppet, even as it’s committing heinous crimes. It’s simply another wonderful juxtaposition as a burly yet wholesome teen battles against a cutesy yet murderous puppet.

Being a low-budget, indie horror comedy means mostly relying on practical effects. With a title like Puppet Killer, naturally a lot of focus went into creation of the killer puppet. Simon is an adorable, lanky bundle of pink fur that feels vaguely reminiscent of everyone’s favorite red puppet from TV. He looks great and having him be so cute as he murders adds to the humor. Even funnier are the tiny weapons and accessories he uses throughout the film. From tiny hockey masks to small bladed gloves, there are so many well-crafted pieces that help Simon live out his favorite horror movies. While everything on the practical side is a delight, I do want to also give a huge shoutout to one CGI aspect. Ovies was at PHFF for a Q&A session after the screening of Puppet Killer where she revealed halfway through filming, it snowed. Instead of trying to get rid of continuously falling snow, they opted to add CGI snow in post-production. If I hadn’t heard that from the director herself, I never even would have noticed the snow in half the film wasn’t real.

Puppet Killer utilizes a tiny murderer to bring in big laughs. This is a strong feature-film debut for Ovies, showing the world she can tackle comedy and horror with the best of them. Even if this specific brand of comedy doesn’t appeal to everyone, audiences can at least appreciate the obvious love for the horror genre and the many nods to fan-favorite films of the past. The entire cast delivers memorably ridiculous performances, with Paunovic being the clear standout. This is the kind of film that quickly garners a cult film status.

Overall Rating: 6/10