Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Strange, very gory horror movie with lifelike puppets.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Abruptio
What's the Story?
In ABRUPTIO, Les Hackel (voiced by James Marsters) works in a soul-sucking job, lives at home with his mother (Carole Ruggier), and has just been dumped by his girlfriend. His monotonous life is disrupted when his best friend, Danny (Jordan Peele), informs him that they both have bombs implanted in their necks. Les learns that if he doesn't follow instructions, the bomb will be detonated. He receives a command to commit a specific murder and is paired with a terrible comedian named Sal (Sid Haig). Les completes the job and finds himself rewarded with a huge house, nice car, and money. So he does another job with the dangerous Clive (Darren Darnborough) but is left tied up in a warehouse, where he's discovered by Chelsea (Hana Mae Lee). She needs help and a place to stay, and Les complies. As Les and Chelsea start to grow closer, neither can imagine what horrors really lie behind this sinister plot.
Is It Any Good?
One of the most jarring movies to come along in a while, this gory sci-fi horror story is performed by grotesque but lifelike puppets, giving it a uniquely disquieting, disorienting effect. Written and directed by Evan Marlowe, Abruptio is, without much hyperbole, unlike any other movie. This is both a positive and a negative. The puppets are the selling point. They're realistic enough that they might remind you of people you know, but in a bad way. They're also just a little bit off, making them a tad bit ghastly. They conjure a constantly shifting, uneasy effect throughout the entire movie, keeping viewers forever off-balance.
The movie itself is a bit more troublesome. Marlowe is clearly a fan of classic horror: The cast includes horror veterans Marsters, Haig, Peele, and Robert Englund (as fastidious germaphobe Mr. Salk), and the movie is riddled with references to older movies. But beyond the puppets, the movie is a rather joyless gore-fest, without much of the charm or appeal of classic horror. And yet, it does have an allure, a tugging weirdness that compels you to keep going, to see where this bizarro adventure is going—and it does go somewhere, leaving off with a satisfying blow. Perhaps the best that can be said of Abruptio is that, if you're looking for something different, it doesn't get more different than this.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Abruptio's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes enjoy being scared?
How does the movie depict drinking and smoking? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Why do you think the story was told with puppets? Do you think this enhances the storytelling? Detracts from it?
Have you ever felt manipulated by something or someone? How did it feel?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 27, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : December 10, 2024
- Cast : James Marsters , Christopher McDonald , Hana Mae Lee
- Director : Evan Marlowe
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Anchor Bay Entertainment
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Puppets
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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