WFG RATING: B

ITN Pictures presents a Jagged Edge Productions film. Written and directed by Scott Chambers. Produced by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Chambers. Cinematography by Vince Knight. Edited by Dan Allen.

Stars Megan Placito, Martin Portlock, Kit Green, Peter DeSouze-Feighoney, Olumide Olorunfemi, Teresa Banham, Kierston Wareing, and Charity Kase. 

The third film of the Twisted Childhood Universe is much darker compared to the Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey films and gives off some very creepy vibes. 

For over two decades, Peter Pan, who works as a clown at a circus, has been kidnapping young boys with the promise to take them to Neverland, where they live forever. At least that’s what the legend tells. However, he has been kidnapping kids and delves punishment to the adults. In the present day, he kidnaps Michael Darling and now his sister Wendy is extremely worried and learns of Peter’s existence when he calls her to tell him he plans to bring him to Neverland.

With the help of her friend Lily, Wendy discovers that Peter’s first victim was a young boy named Timmy, who is later revealed to be Tinkerbell, a transgendered woman whose addiction to “pixie dust” is actually that of heroin, supplied by Peter. When Peter begins to track down Michael’s friend Joey, he goes to great lengths to get the job done. Wendy soon discovers Peter’s “Neverland” and will do anything to get Michael and Joey back. 

With the success of the Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey films, the team of Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott (Jeffrey) Chambers decide to do something different with their take on Peter Pan. Where WtP injected some humor, both intentional and unintentional, this film, which Chambers wrote and directed, decides to go a darker route with inspirations such as Stephen King’s IT and The Black Phone behind it.

Martin Portlock shines as the titular Peter, a psychotic child kidnapper and killer who has a red van, sometimes wears clown make-up (until he is disfigured by a woman Roxy, whose son James, falls prey to Peter in the film’s opening), and sports masks all while hopped up on “pixie dust” (heroin) with the belief that he is Peter Pan. Portlock doesn’t inject any humor in his arsenal here like the Pan of the Mouse House, Instead, he is ruthless, cunning at times, and very brutal especially in his treatment of Tinkerbell, played by a resounding Kit Green. 

Megan Placito is great in the role of Wendy, who goes to great lengths to find Michael even when her mother Teresa (who is Christopher Robin’s therapist in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II) has given up hope. She endures everything that comes her way, from an on/off boyfriend to her complex family relationship. However, Michael is the one she is close to and kudos goes to Peter DeSouza-Feighoney for his excellent portrayal of Michael. Michael comes off as a boy who may or may not have feelings for his best friend Joey, played by Hardy Yusuf as it is implied in one particular scene. 

Once again, this being a horror film, the kills go from subtle to flat out brutal. Chambers saves the more brutal kills as the bookends as the first major kill comes in the form of Roxy, played by Kierston Wareing and Peter’s final kill is just jaw-dropping and shocking. The rest consist of mostly stabbings and throat slashings with one cool death of a knife through a victim’s mouth. One victim of Peter is played by Eddy McKenzie, who played Piglet in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II which has a really cool shot of Peter in the reflection of the oozing blood. 

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare brings something new to the table in terms of tone compared to the Blood and Honey films. Peter’s creepy factor will make viewers uncomfortable, but you got to hand it to Scott Chambers for unleashing Peter Pan as a dark horror figure.