British Slasher Lacks Punch (2024)
Title: Punch
First Non-Festival Release: January 16, 2024 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)
Director: Andy Edwards
Writer: Andy Edwards
Runtime: 81 Minutes
Starring: Kierston Wareing, Jamie Lomas, Alina Allison
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Preparing for her last night in town before heading off to school, Frankie (Alina Allison) decides to party it up with her friends one more time. Her night of revelry is cut short when she and her friends are stalked by a man donning a Mr. Punch mask. Punishing any young person stepping out of line, Mr. Punch (Mark Sears) doles out his form of justice with his signature brash sense of humor. As Frankie fights back against the masked man, she must face the truth about her hometown that will change everything.
Dull and derivative, Punch wanders aimlessly through a working-class town’s systemic issues with misogyny and unruly children.
Punch attempts to bring the horror treatment to Mr. Punch and Judy, cultural icons in the United Kingdom, by making it the latest childhood memory to don a mask and murder people. This juxtaposition of Frankie’s desires and her hometown’s unwillingness to let her go easily ties in easily with the film’s commentary on small town life. Tying the childhood figures to adult problems, Punch shows the negative consequences of clinging to old ideas and ways of thinking.
In the end, the story’s commitment to dissecting small town misogyny and how damaging it is for the future of everyone is well-intentioned but stale in execution. Evident before Frankie even realizes she is in danger, the culture of the small-town shines through in its brine-stained glory. Comments about her appearance, her desire to move away, and Frankie’s refusal to back down in the face of adversity shows how much she has had to face in her time there. While it does tie these ideas together in the end, it never feels genuine or complete. By the time it reaches its end, Punch fizzles out any interesting ideas before attempting to shock viewers with an underwhelming twist.
Interchangeable young victims are beaten to a pulp in forgettable ways, which helps lessen the already small impact made by Punch. Slashers are typically expected to offer up something in exchange for their sillier premises. Without a strong chase scene or iconic death, Punch fails to differentiate itself from the scores of direct to streaming titles with similar stories. Lacking diversity in the types of kills or confrontations, Punch finds itself in a cycle with its violence, never quite knowing when to pull away when it gets too serious or cutting away too quickly before the audience sees the goods. It’s a frustrating place to be when a film doesn’t know if it wants to be campy or have a message. It could commit but it seems Punch is not capable of this, and thus the tension is undercut.
What Punch lacks in slasher finesse, it does make up for in its overall filming techniques. For a low budget venture, Punch looks quite beautiful at times, especially when the audience is treated to sweeping views of the roaring oceans and isolated city streets. It certainly captures the beauty and humbleness of small-town life. Unfortunately, it does do this at the expense of atmosphere, which Punch sorely lacks despite the competency. Still, the production values are there, making Punch a better film than its script allows it to be.
Overall, Punch lacks the stones to truly dive into the issues it attempts to uncover while also failing as a slasher film. Thin performances, a meandering story, and lack of creativity in its kills leaves a lot to be desired from the feature. In terms of mining childhood nostalgia, Punch is one of the better offerings, but that isn’t saying much. If Mr. Punch and Judy hold a special place in your heart, feel free to step up to the plate and put on Punch the next time you’re looking for a British slasher.
Overall Score? 4/10
