Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is an indie horror film written and directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield. It's a film that was possible due to Disney's license on the character finally lapsing, and the character IP going public domain. It took us a while to check this out, and while the initial reception wasn't the best, the film turned out to be better than expected. You just have to know what to expect.
The synopsis is "After Christopher Robin abandons them for college, Pooh and Piglet embark on a bloody rampage as they search for a new source of food." which raised a few questions. Was Christopher Robin the only one feeding all of them? What were they eating before this? Why did Pooh decide they needed to become cannibals? Was Christopher Robin feeding them humans? These questions never got answered, but apparently after winter came, Pooh decided that enough is enough and took matters into his own hands.
While Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey doesn't really have a lot to offer in the writing department, we didn't expect it to. This plot was sufficient for what it was trying to accomplish. Christopher Robin returns after years of being gone and things have not been great. He brings his girlfriend along, and quickly realizes that this was a mistake as they meet up with Pooh, and Pooh is not happy with him. Pooh is actually very upset to say the least. There is another group of friends that are camping out in the 100 Acre Wood, and they are all pretty much fighting for their lives as Piglet and Pooh go on a murderous rampage.
While this obviously is a super corny film, it did have a certain charm to it as a cheesy slasher. There was a decent amount of fun gore, the acting wasn't bad, and the production overall was pretty solid. The concept is fantastic as well. Who doesn't want to see Pooh on a murderous rampage?
What could have been better? More practical effects would have been nice. There was a mix of practical and CG, but more CG than we would have liked. The costume design could have been better. Pooh just looked like a hillbilly with a Pooh mask. Even if it was ridiculous, a giant pooh bear would have been great. Same with Piglet.
Overall, we enjoyed Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Rhys Frake-Waterfield did a pretty good job turning Pooh into a campy slasher. They probably could have done better with the plot and costume design, but it was part of what makes it so ridiculous in the first place. It's also not a bad film for what it was. We think that they really nailed what their vision was for this, and we will definitely have to check out the sequel.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is available to stream on Tubi for free. Let us know what you think!
