REVIEW: ‘Hellboy The Crooked Man’ Is Stuck Between Faithfulness and Missteps

Hellboy The Crooked Man makes a valiant effort to adapt Mike Mignola’s 2008 comic, but ultimately, it falters under the weight of its changes. While the movie delivers on some visuals, faithfully replicating key comic moments, the film’s overall production quality holds it back. While there are some nods to the comic that fans will appreciate, the overall feel of the movie is closer to a fan film than a high-budget adaptation. The inconsistent CGI, paired with moments that miss the mark, prevents the film from fully realizing the potential of the material.

One of the more glaring issues with Hellboy The Crooked Man is the addition of Bobbie Jo Song (Adeline Rudolph), a character created for the film who wasn’t in the comic. While her inclusion might have been well-intentioned, her arc feels one-note and underdeveloped. Positioned as a field agent new to the job, Bobbie serves primarily to provide exposition, her only purpose being to highlight the difference between the theoretical world of the books and the harsh realities of the field.

This setup might have worked if the movie had leaned into her development, but instead, it just feels like filler. Worse, the movie tries to imply a connection between her and Hellboy (Jack Kesy) by the end, which never feels earned. It doesn’t come across as romantic tension but more of a forced narrative connection that never gels with the original tone of the comic.

Original characters aren’t used to their full potential in Hellboy The Crooked Man.

The film’s decision to expand the story beyond its tight three-issue miniseries also proves problematic. The original comic was a contained mystery, grounded in the Appalachian folklore. While Hellboy The Crooked Man makes a valiant effort to capture some of that folk tale aesthetic, the attempt to create a broader, more franchise-friendly story by including subplots like Hellboy’s backstory about his mother feels out of place. These additions distract from the core mystery and dilute the tension that should have been building naturally.

What Hellboy The Crooked Man gets right is its commitment to the comic’s visuals, with several key scenes directly ripped from Mignola’s work. If you’re a fan of the comic, you’ll recognize these moments and appreciate the fidelity in the art direction. However, this is where the production quality issues become glaring. The practical effects are done well, showcasing a solid effort in some areas, but the film feels uneven in execution.

The decision to opt for CGI in key moments like Cora (Hannah Margetson) transforming into insects or the final confrontation with the titular Crooked Man doesn’t live up to the potential these scenes could have had with practical effects. It feels like a budget constraint, and that lack of polish undermines the film’s attempts to go for more ambitious, visually striking moments.

The commitment to the comic’s visuals clashes against the overall execution.

One of the more frustrating aspects of Hellboy The Crooked Man is the absence of subtitles. Given the film’s setting in the Appalachian Mountains, the characters speak with heavy accents, and the dialogue is filled with folklore references and demonic jargon that can be difficult to fully grasp without subtitles. In 2025, it feels like a significant oversight that Hulu, for some reason, doesn’t offer the option to turn on subtitles for this movie. With all the dense, mumbled speech and specific regional dialects, this lack of accessibility detracts from the viewing experience. It makes it harder to fully immerse in the film’s story and world.

Ultimately, for fans of the original comic, Hellboy The Crooked Man is a frustrating experience. The film certainly shows that director Brian Taylor and the creative team knew the source material, but their attempt to put their spin on it doesn’t work. The changes are too jarring, the story too bloated, and the emotional connections, like the one between Hellboy and Bobbie Jo, feel unearned.

Hellboy The Crooked Man suffers from inconsistent production quality. It fails to fully realize the potential of its most ambitious scenes, opting for changes that don’t work. In addition, the film’s lack of subtitles makes it less accessible. Despite some strong visuals, the film misses the mark on capturing the essence of what made the Hellboy The Crooked Man comic so special.

Hellboy The Crooked Man is available now on Hulu.