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WARNING: MATURE CONTENT |
- ❝ Run Before You Become Part of the Show!❞
- ―Movie tagline
The Freaking Puppets Show!!! is a 2025 American independent horror-thriller film directed and written by Zoey Springfield and Vince Vincent. Produced by S.B.M. Productions, the film stars Fiona Bettencourt, Gustaf Skarsgård, André Holland, and Enrico Fernandez. It was released exclusively on the streaming service Peacock on November 30, 2025.
Plot[]
Three single fathers—Gareth, Jim, and Fabian—take their sons on a holiday retreat to a remote cabin in the woods to reconnect and unwind. Their vacation is violently interrupted by the arrival of Mila, a terrified young woman on the run.
Mila reveals she is hunting a sadistic serial killer responsible for her sister's disappearance. The killer, a twisted puppeteer, abducts women and transforms them into his living marionettes for a macabre, real-life puppet show. The fathers' attempt to help takes a horrifying turn when they discover the killer's collection is incomplete and that he is now targeting their ex-wives. Trapped and isolated, the men must join forces with Mila to protect their families and stop the puppeteer before he claims his next victims.
Synopsis[]
Three divorced fathers—Gareth, Jim, and Fabian—organize a holiday retreat to a remote cabin in the woods with their respective sons, Clayton, Michael, and Juan, hoping to strengthen their bonds. Their vacation is violently interrupted by the arrival of Mila, a terrified and armed young woman who breaks into their cabin seeking refuge.
Mila explains that she is hunting a sadistic serial killer known as "The Puppeteer," who was responsible for the disappearance of her sister. The killer abducts women and grotesquely transforms them into living marionettes for a macabre, real-life puppet show. The men are initially skeptical but grow concerned when they lose cell service and find their vehicles disabled. Clayton later stumbles upon the body of his babysitter, Wendy, staged like a broken puppet in a nearby shed, confirming Mila's story.
The group discovers the killer's hidden workshop beneath the cabin, filled with taxidermy tools and gruesome evidence of his previous victims, including Mila's ex-girlfriend, Lory. They learn The Puppeteer's collection is incomplete and realize he is now targeting their ex-wives.
As tensions mount, Juan discovers evidence implicating his father, Fabian, as The Puppeteer. Before he can alert the others, Fabian murders him. Fabian then isolates and kills Jim. He confronts Gareth, revealing his motive: a pathological need for control stemming from his bitter divorce led him to turn women into puppets who could not leave him. He orchestrated the retreat to trap his friends and targeted Mila to silence her. He then kills Gareth.
Mila finds the bodies of Jim and Juan and is captured by Fabian, who shows her Gareth's corpse, now strung up like a marionette. As Fabian prepares to make Mila his final puppet, she suddenly becomes possessed by Gareth's vengeful spirit. Speaking in Gareth's voice, she tells Fabian, "You will be part of the show instead," before stabbing him in the heart with one of his own tools. She then turns him into a grotesque marionette. The possession subsides, leaving a horrified but free Mila. She finds the traumatized Michael and Clayton, and the three survivors walk away from the cabin as dawn breaks.
Cast[]
- Fiona Bettencourt as Mila, a determined young woman hunting the killer who took her sister.
- Gustaf Skarsgård as Gareth King, a protective father.
- André Holland as Jim Skye, a level-headed father trying to keep the group safe.
- Enrico Fernandez as Fabian Gonzalez / The Puppeteer, a seemingly friendly father who is revealed to be the sadistic killer.
- Kolbjörn Skarsgård as Clayton King, Gareth's son.
- JD McCrary as Michael Skye, Jim's son.
- Mateo Ray Garcia as Juan Gonzalez, Fabian's son.
- Alison Church as Vera, one of The Puppeteer's victims.
- Teagan Croft as Lory, Mila's ex-girlfriend and a victim of The Puppeteer.
- Daisy Mayer as Emilia, a teenage victim seen in a recording.
- Lucy Fallon as Wendy, Clayton's babysitter and The Puppeteer's first on-screen victim.
Victims[]
- Wendy: Kidnapped by the puppeteer during opening scene. Later was found turned into living puppet by the panicked Clayton.
- Emilia: Mila screams as she forced to see a helpless Emilia being taxidermized off-screen.
- Lory: Michael, Clayton, and Juan found Mila tied and freed her. But they panicked upon seeing a lifeless Lory hanged by the threads like a puppet.
- Vera: Found lifeless, begging Mila to free them so they can go to heaven for peace and died.
- Juan Gonzalez: Before he can call the police, he turns around and screams upon seeing his father Fabian raising the knife, stabbed him to death.
- Jim Skye: Before Jim could react to Juan's body, Mila's screams is heard, but Fabian turn the volume up so he can kill Jim without known.
- Gareth King: Fabian revealed as The Puppeteer, who desired to turn all women victims into living marionettes for a macabre, real-life puppet show, born from a pathological need for control following his own bitter divorce. He orchestrated the retreat to trap his friends and targeted Mila to silence her. He also killed his son Juan for discovering his plan. As he shows off Gareth's dead body has also turned into puppet, Mila screams in horror and passed out.
- Fabian Gonzalez / The Puppeteer: His celebration was shortly lived when he saw Mila, possessed by the ghost of Gareth King. She said in low-toned voice "You will the part of the show instead..." before she stabbed Fabian in the heart, and turned him into living marionette just like them. She then comforts the traumatized Michael and Clayton before the three leave the cabin and walk away.
Survivor(s)[]
- Mila
- Clayton King
- Michael Skye
Production[]
Development[]
The project was announced in January 2024 with Zoey Springfield and Vince Vincent set to co-write and co-direct from an original concept. Lulu Alden's S.B.M. Productions boarded the project to produce, with the goal of creating a modern horror film that blended psychological tension with classic slasher elements.
Casting[]
In March 2024, Fiona Bettencourt was cast in the lead role of Mila. Shortly thereafter, Gustaf Skarsgård, André Holland, and Enrico Fernandez joined as the three male leads. Trade publications noted the casting of Gustaf Skarsgård's real-life half-brother, Kolbjörn Skarsgård, as his on-screen son, which was intended to add a layer of authenticity to the family dynamic at the film's core.
Filming[]
Principal photography commenced in May 2024 and concluded in July 2024. Filming took place primarily in rural, wooded areas of upstate New York to capture the isolated and foreboding atmosphere required by the script. Renowned cinematographer Darius Khondji was hired to lens the film; the directors and Khondji collaborated to create a dark, atmospheric visual style reminiscent of 1970s horror films.
Music[]
The film's score was composed by Colin Stetson. The directors sought a composition that would blend ambient dread with jarring, unconventional saxophone and wind instrument sounds to reflect the puppeteer's twisted psyche and the mechanical, unnatural movements of his victims.
Release[]
In September 2025, NBCUniversal acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the film, slating it for an exclusive release on its streaming platform, Peacock, as part of its "Peacock Halloween" lineup. The film was released on November 30, 2025. It was rated R by the Motion Picture Association for "strong horror violence, disturbing images, terror, and language."
Reception[]
Critical response[]
The Freaking Puppets Show!!! received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 72% based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads, "Elevated by a chilling performance from Enrico Fernandez and stylish direction, The Freaking Puppets Show!!! is a grimly effective thriller, even when it pulls on familiar strings." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
Critics praised the film's tense atmosphere, Khondji's cinematography, and the performances of the cast. Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting called it "a brutally tense and visually stunning nightmare" and praised Fernandez's portrayal of The Puppeteer as "utterly terrifying." Owen Gleiberman of Variety lauded the performances of Skarsgård and Bettencourt, but criticized the screenplay's third-act supernatural twist, calling it "an outlandish leap that undermines the gritty psychological horror painstakingly built up." Many critics highlighted Colin Stetson's score as a key element in establishing the film's pervasive sense of dread.
Trivia[]
- Rated R for some violence and intense frightening scenes.