It’s apparent from the outset that Mr Punch is an arsehole and he most certainly is that!
Struggling to make it in the big time his and Judy’s puppet show has returned after touring to a town called Sea Side, It is getting rave reviews in the town and playing to a packed theatre also attracting interest from the “Big Smoke” but the trouble is Mr Punch can’t control his thirst for the booze, After an accident involving their baby Judy returns home to find an intoxicated Punch who turns full on rage and appears to beat her to death, He then carries her out and buries her in the nearby woods where (Slight Spoiler) she regains consciousness and is taken in by a group of outcasts who live in the woods called “Hexens”.
Mr Punch then blames the two old loyal servants for the death of his child and the mysterious death of his wife. It’s set in medieval times, Times where if you cast the wrong shadow you are classed as a witch and duly stoned to death or hung without any hope of a fair trial.
I must say i hadn’t really read much or seen much about Judy and Punch but the poster and story-line peaked my interest so i decided to give it a go and i’m really glad i did,The sets and indeed the setting where the tale takes place looks great, It reminded me in parts of classics such as Blood On Satan’s Claw and Witchfinder General but with more of a dark comedic twist.
It’s got some great character’s and twists, All in all a pleasant surprise, Like i said before the lead character of Mr Punch is played brilliantly by Damon Herriman who also recently played Charles Manson in the superb Netflix series “Mindhunter”. I found as much as i hated his character i also loved it in equal measures, Also the other lead Judy played by Mia Wasikowska who’s best known for her portrayal of Alice in Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland and the Adaptation of Ryu Murakami’s book Piercing which i would say if you’ve not seen that or read the book you really should. She’s brilliant in this, You really feel for her the whole way through and i for one was routing for her all the way.
In summing up i would say it’s definitely well worth tracking down,
8/10,
Jonny T.