Kylgor in the Grisly Abyss
Rating: 4/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
SCREENED AT FANTASTIC FEST 2026
Puppetry has been used in many different films throughout the history of cinema. There are the Muppets, Yoda and the puppets used in Star Wars, all of the creatures in The Dark Crystal, and so many more different examples. So, when I was looking through the film guide for the films coming to Fantastic Fest this year, there was one that specifically stood out to me - Kylgor in the Grisly Abyss. Written and directed by Mason Newton DeRushie, and shot entirely in his garage, this movie stood out to me on the sole basis that it is a cross between The Lord of the Rings and puppets, which appeals to me since it is such an original and fresh idea. Watching this film is nothing short of awe-inspiring to see such a dedicated filmmaker craft this picture in such a way, with some spectacular special effects and a fun story that will appeal to a wide variety of audiences.
The film follows Kylgor (Timothy Paul McCarthy) as him and his band of men storm the castle and prepare to kill the evil king once and for all. However, following a major fight with the castle guards, they find themselves plummeted into the grisly abyss, with seemingly no way out. Now forced to work with the guards, Kylgor and his men must try to find a way to get out of the grisly abyss before it's too late. Oh, and did I mention the entire cast of characters here are all puppets?
To start, I absolutely love the filmmaking behind this. It was such an interesting and fun idea to craft this movie using puppetry, and this is the exact type of unique filmmaking I wish we had back in this world. DeRushie, alongside his father Jason DeRushie, spent around five years crafting this film in their garage, crafting these amazing sets and special effects for the film. If that's not dedication, I truly don't know what is. And, I think it is a testament to their skills as special effects artists because the sets and gore effects in this movie are wonderfully gnarly.
I especially want to comment on the creature puppets here because some of these truly knocked my socks off. There is one moment towards the end of the film where Kylgor encounters a huge one-eyed creature; the way they were able to animate and bring this special effects puppet to life is truly brilliant. It is honestly better than some of the CGI that big-studio films are using today. I can't give this film enough praise for its visuals because it proves to me how innovative DeRushie is as a filmmaker.
While this visual spectacle is beautiful to look at from beginning to end, I do think the story could work a little better with some tightening. Most of this film is spent with them in the grisly abyss, and there are some moments that drag a little throughout this movie. I especially would have loved to see more character chemistry and story between them because I feel like that gets a little lost. When some of the characters start dying off in the abyss, for me, I truly didn't feel like it affected the story too much or meant to make the audience feel a type of way. While I totally understand the visuals and special effects were heavily on display and meant to wow the audience, the story unfortunately does just need a little bit more for me.
I also think the voice cast here is quite fun in these roles. DeRushie utilizes these lesser-known actors to play these characters and they fully give it their all. I especially love what McCarthy brings to the role of Kylgor as he is this rough and rugged, badass warrior. While these puppets may not have a wide range of facial expressions, the voice actors really give these characters such an engaging personality.
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect for this movie, but I honestly had such a great time with it. DeRushie is, without a doubt, a filmmaker I will be keeping my eye on, and I truly hope this sort of ushers in a new phase of filmmaking that involves puppets. I never knew I needed a movie like this, and I enjoyed this wild ride it took me on.
Comments
Post a Comment