Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
After being contacted by their mysterious former colleague, four psychics arrive at a secluded hotel where they are stalked by a group of murderous puppets.
Puppet Master is a notable entry in late-80s low-budget horror for its imaginative puppet creations — Blade, Pinhead, Tunneler and company are genuinely inventive designs that became cult icons. The cinematography makes decent use of the Bodega Bay Inn setting with some atmospheric lighting and effective low-angle puppet POV shots that punch above its budget. However, the plot is thin and meandering, with the psychic protagonists being largely interchangeable and the mythology introduced haphazardly. Acting is serviceable at best among the human cast. The ending is abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying, leaving too many threads dangling. Novelty is moderate — while killer puppet horror existed before, the specific ensemble of puppet characters and their distinct killing methods gave this film a distinctive identity that launched a long franchise.