Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Image

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare

By Alan Ng | January 14, 2025

NOW IN THEATERS! I suppose there is a new genre flooding theaters, and it’s the Public Domain Slasher Film. From the filmmakers behind Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey I & II comes Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. All three films are a testament to turning our beloved cartoon character of old into bloody/gory slasher villains while skirting around U.S. and Global trademark and copyright laws.

In a small suburban town English town, little boys are disappearing, often leaving their parents and siblings dead in a pool of their own blood. But no one suspects a circus performer named Peter Pan (Martin Portlock) and his trusty fairy Tinkerbell (Kit Green) traveling through the countryside in his Neverland van.

Meanwhile, a single mother, Daphne (Nicola Wright), lives with her children, Wendy (Megan Placito), John (Campbell Wallace), and Micheal (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney). At odds with her mother, Wendy is tasked with getting Michael to school and home on his birthday. Things turn deadly after school when the menacing Peter Pan kidnaps Micheal under Wendy’s nose.

Locked in a room, Peter terrorizes him and soon offers to take him to “Neverland.” Seeing that Michael is alone, Peter threatens…I mean, offers…to bring Michael’s best friend, Joey, along for the journey.

As no one knows where Michael is, Wendy takes it upon herself and her friend, Tiger Lily (Olumide Olorunfemi), to find Michael. Let’s just say there’s a lot of death and dismemberment along the way.

“…little boys are disappearing, often leaving their parents and siblings dead in a pool of their own blood.”

Described as the next chapter in the horror franchise, the Poohniverse, let me just say that Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is a much better and scarier film than Blood & Honey, where Pooh seemed like a Jason-like supernatural serial killer. Peter Pan is a much more grounded mental case with ominous visions guiding his actions. We could talk about the public domain gimmick to death, but I like that filmmakers Scott Chambers and Rhys Frake-Waterfield built out the lore and story much better than they did with the two Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey films.

The film is quite clever, taking the basic story of J.M. Barrie and twisting it into a sort of twisted pedo-slasher film. Let’s be honest. We’ve all questioned certain aspects of Peter Pan. There’s not much of a stretch. The kidnapping plot is reminiscent of Black Phone. How will Michael get out? What torturous plans does Peter have on deck, and what’s with Tinkerbell, who needs to inject “Pixie Dust” into her system every night?

Like Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the gore and violence are off the chain. It’s not Terrifier levels of kills, but pretty damn close. No one gets off unscathed, as the kills are horrifying and brutal.

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare also shows a marked improvement in acting. Everyone embraces their characters. As Peter, Martin Portlock finds a good balance between demented and insane. Kit Green is Tinker Bell and brings great pathos to the character. Megan Placito plays Wendy as pretty and determined. No girl bossing here, but she does have to figure out a way to survive against a grand threat in Peter Pan.

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is a shockingly twisted but surprisingly creative entry into the emerging genre of Public Domain Slashers. With gruesome kills and a disturbingly clever reimagining of classic characters, the new Poohniverse is headed toward doubling down on its grotesque charm.

Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (2025)

Directed: Scott Chambers

Written: Scott Chambers, Rhys Frake-Waterfield

Starring: Martin Portlock, Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Megan Placito, etc.

Movie score: 7.5/10

Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare Image

"…We’ve all questioned certain aspects of Peter Pan."

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