Synopsis: Once upon a time a greedy miller (Mark Cook) promises to marry off his beautiful daughter Evaline (Hannah Baxter-Eve) to the King (Colin Malone). But things don’t quite go to plan when his lies are uncovered and the pair are about to be locked up in a tower forever. So, they make a bold promise to the King, that Evalina will spin straw into gold using a spinning wheel… but that’s easier said than done and they realise that they’ve made a promise they can’t keep. That is until a mischievous masked creature (Joss Carter) appears from nowhere with the offer of help. But help comes with a cost… When the woman fulfills the task, the King becomes seduced by greed and wants more gold, so in an act of desperation she pleads with the fiendish imp and they make a deal… her firstborn child for more gold. But everyone ends up getting more than they bargained for when the Devil gets involved and all hell breaks loose. Who said spinning straw into gold wouldn’t come without a few problems?
Writer/director Andy Edwards, who riffed on the iconic British Mr. Punch puppet with his 2023 slasher feature Punch, now tackles a fairy tale most of us grew up knowing with his new film Rumpelstiltskin (U.K., 2025). He rather faithfully follows the main plot of the Brothers Grimm tale that has been handed down with different variations through the years, adding his own touches — for example, new elements regarding Evaline and Rumpelstiltskin facing off again seven years after their initial clash — to create a horror version for adults, to great success.
The budget may be low, but the overall look and feel of the film often belies that, with fun practical makeup and prosthetics work for the titular villain and creative exteriors and set design. The cast members acquit themselves with game performances, led by Baxter-Eve as the protagonist who rises above her initially lower village ranks and who is determined to keep her child away from the villain’s clutches, and Carter, who portrays Rumpelstiltskin in an entertaining, wicked manner without crossing the line into camp.
Edwards is a prolific filmmaker in the U.K. independent horror scene who certainly knows how to craft intriguing scare-fare. If you haven’t yet seen his work, Rumpelstiltskin is a terrific place to start.
Rumpelstiltskin screened as part of Pigeon Shrine FrightFest Glasgow, which ran from March 6–8, 2025. It will be available from Miracle Media on digital from 7 April 2025.
