Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Hellboy comes to England, where he must defeat Nimue, Merlin's consort and the Blood Queen. But their battle will bring about the end of the world, a fate he desperately tries to turn away.
The 2019 Hellboy reboot is a largely disappointing effort across the board. The plot is overstuffed and poorly structured, cramming in multiple storylines—Baba Yaga, the Blood Queen, Arthurian mythology—without coherently weaving them together, resulting in a muddled narrative. The acting is serviceable at best; David Harbour tries hard but lacks the effortless charisma Perlman brought, and the supporting cast is underutilized. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable, leaning heavily on murky, desaturated visuals that fail to establish a distinct visual identity. Despite its rich source material, the film feels like a generic R-rated comic book movie rather than a distinctive adaptation—the tonal mismatch between gory horror and quippy action undermines both elements. The ending is rushed and unsatisfying, resolving its apocalyptic stakes in a way that feels unearned given the chaotic buildup.