I am unsure as to what this movie is trying to be as it takes in a few of the horror subgenres, including Nazi Splatterpunk, Supernatural Slasher, and Laugh While You Kill... the trouble is it just feels too sycophantic and pompous.The idea of Knucklebones is a great idea; I've always been a sucker for Daemons. Like all Daemons he has to be summoned into our world this is done in the form of an ancient Sumerian Incantation - this was one of my biggest irks of the whole film since it appears that everybody can read and write Sumerian (I know it's one of my favourite dead languages!) - and the casting of severed and fleshless metacarpals into a pentagram. Though, the best bit of the summoning is Knucklebones's arrival as he literally rips his way into the world through one of the summoners. Plenty of bones tearing through flesh.However, it's the rest of the story which kills the film, as well as the "Thirty-Something" teens and their mediocre acting skills. At the start of the movie we have a group of Nazis conducting an experiment on a topless blonde, this is just to show the audience the evil Germans connection to the Daemon. Then we move to the USA in the '70's where something or somebody is killing the nightshift at a clothing manufacturer. Finally, we end up in present day and though we've been shown the connection the audience is then told of the connection in a little more detail making the two opening sequences redundant and pointless. I do hate a waste of time when it could have been used to better assist the story or help to create better killings.Then there's Knucklebones himself who appears to be Freddy Krueger minus skin - the gruff voice and dark humour one-liners are very reminiscent of good ol' Fred and that is a shame; with a little more work he could have had his own character. At least his look is pretty good. I did like the skull with tattered flesh hanging loose, though at the time you could tell it was a rubber mask. This could have been handled better with a different camera angle and moodier lighting. One thing in the film's favour is the lighting as the director doesn't rely on darkness to try and scare you. He makes sure you can see everything - this I appreciate greatly, I am not a fan of too-dark-to-see movies.Apart from a couple of times with the bad guys mask the special effects are okay. Though you've probably seen similar done better they are pretty good for a low budget flick.This is not a brilliant film and it teeters on being poor to average but I would recommend it for horror lovers as there are a few good ideas and scenes in the film. However, if you're thinking of getting into the genre then do yourself a favour and watch the original Nightmare On Elm Street films (but only up to part five) - then when you've caught up with all the good stuff out there, then give this a go - just to satisfy your dark cravings.

Knucklebones, Directed by Mitch Wilson, who also wrote it, was released in 2016, it stars Julian Jean, and Tom Zembrod and Katie Bosacki, and a handful of other victims, um, players. Spoiler Alert : plot details are given.After an ambiguous opening sequence featuring Nazis, and Tits, it jumps to another unrelated bit of violence in some kind of textile plant. Jump cut to the present. You can recite the dialogue because you have heard it so many times before;"Hey I know of a deserted factory where people were murdered, lets graba few beers, and some chicks, and spend the night there". "I don't feel good about summoning a demon, but OK, what the hell". And on and on. One knows that five people visiting that night are not going to be enough. Throw in the wrecking crew, and the cops. Got to get the body count up there. and more Tits, while we are on it. Yep another wise cracking worm faced demon, doing his best Robert England impression. played by Tom Zembrod. Another suicide inclined jilted lover Julian, who survives. No one to root for here, really, On the Plus, it was technically competent, good production values, well lit, and the gore seemed to be produced as practical effects. I give this Four 'same 'ol song, Stars out of Ten. You want to see a real imaginative, demon conjuring movie? try Lo, 2009. directed by Travis Bets.

The Nazis create a demon that you can summon by rolling knuckle bones and saying a few words for the purpose of wiping out enemy troops. This demon is a Jason type with a Freddy voice and his sense of humour. Years later the bones are found in a box stored in an old factory. Wouldn't you know it some teens play the game and summon Knucklebones.This one had so much potential. When Knucklebones is summoned he needs a body to come through. Your bones will just start snapping and sticking right through your skin then he crawls right out of the person leaving a spent corpse. When you see this you think this film is going rock but then it never does. It just seems muddled.One problem was his voice which was a distorted Freddy. You could make out his one liners sometimes but mostly not. Everything seemed to wrap up quick which I think the writer sort of wrote himself into a corner. He has Knucklebones stop pursing one of the last survivors only to leave the factory and go all the way to the survivors house to go after the young sister. What's even worse is the sister is waiting in bed with a bow and arrow. What? The one thing I laughed at the hardest was what she went through to get some new knuckle bones. She makes Ash look like a sissy.I hope a different writer gets to do the sequel.

In my opinion if you don't want to do yourself a mental mischief the best way to view Knucklebones is as a comedy of errors. Casting aside the predictable "B" grade credentials of this film, its inability, in my view, to actually settle on a simple core concept and stick to it, is the main reason its such a mess. This flick constantly oscillates between vaguely formulated, uninspiring ideas. Its as if the whole thing tries far too hard, to be interesting and original. It would have been better off, I feel, basking in its "B" grade glory and just sticking with a simpler slasher flick premise. The acting is OK, there's a little black humour, thats not too dreadful and there are a few "jump scares" but thats all I can find that's positive to say here. Four out of ten from me.