Dan Allen (director)
London FrightFest 2025 (studio)
18 (certificate)
81 (length)
21 August 2025 (released)
23 August 2025
Written in 1923 by Felix Salten Babmit, is a children’s book and at the time an allegory for the suffering of the Jews in Europe. I haven’t read it. However like many others I’m familiar with the 1942 Disney animated adaptation.
This version however is part of an ever-expanding series of films that are taking advantage of public domain titles and turning them on their heads, inside out, and over to the dark side.
The story is Xana (Roaxanne McKee) and her son Benji (Tom Mulheron) are driving to a family reunion at the home of his senile grandmother Mary (Nicola Wright). Also there are Mary’s sons Andrew (Russell Geoffrey Banks) and Joshua (Luke Cavendish), and Andrew’s wife Harriet (Samira Mighty). The one missing is Xana’s husband and Mary’s third son Simon (Alex Cooke).
En route they are attacked by a demonic deer though they make it to the house. It turns out that Mary has been sketching the creature for some time now, so there’s an added fantastical element. Lob in three hunters who are out to get the deer, add some politics, environmental issues, and nasty deaths and its good to go on the nose horror.
The main issue here is the realisation of Bambi and while the creature is fearsome and huge the CGI is ropey as are the Thumper rabbits, and forest animals though that can be put aside given the budget of the film.
It's well planned out by writer Rhys Warrington and then directed by Dan Allen, with gets in some very good set pieces. And as the film progresses there is some sympathy for the deer. Which comes to the matter as to what we are watching as the final act has the monstrous deer protecting his own offspring which muddies things that may be resolved in any sequel.
Overall there’s a lot to like here from a cast that are generally solid, if cliched at times. The film that could easily fall into after the pub fare, as its somewhat ridiculous. But if watched more soberly a light look at environmental matters and tampering with things that shouldn’t be.
Bambi: The Reckoning had its UK premiere at London FrightFest August 2025.
