Macabre…ish Horror Review: Pooka

Pooka, 2018/ 1 hr 23 min

A down on his luck actor, Wilson (Nyasha Hatendi), just starting over in a new place, finally gets a break. After a strange audition, he get’s his shot! His chance to be a Pooka! This is not what he was auditioning for but it is why he was hired.

He is shown the toy, then the man sized version, the company wants a real actor to bring the character to life. During his first dress run, he almost suffocates and hates it. He wants no part of it until he sees the contract. The company is shrouded in secrets, no one even knows how the concept was made but the toys will sell out just before Christmas, as projected.

Wilson’s first day of having the costume home, his house is ransacked but nothing is stolen.

On the job, he does just what a mall Santa does, he does commercials and the Pooka merch machine is full steam ahead. Oh and the Pooka costume seems to be taking on a life of it’s own and it’s kind of evil.

One day, Wilson returns home to find his costume up and punching the walls. The evidence of all this wall punching is on his own bloody hands and the costume, vanished. Something terrible is happening.

The costume is either coming to life or controlling Wilson when he’s in the costume, or something. Either way, Wilson is being traumatized by it. This Pooka character is becoming less like Barney and more of a monster. But who is the monster? Is it Pooka or is it Wilson?

This is an After Dark movie and it was a pretty good story. It’s a very trippy thriller with moments of insanity and some blood. The effects were ok but the lighting was annoying. This is more of a jump scare than a gore fest and it gets progressively creepy then sad. Plenty of minority people in this flick btw.