Judy & Punch – A Solid Yet Original Dark Comedy (Early Review)

“Don’t Mess With Puppets” – a mantra that I have lived by for many years and it has never steered me wrong. They can be downright creepy and are capable of taking away just as much joy from the world as they allegedly put in it.

But that is a debate for another time.

Judy and Punch centers around the lives and misfortunes of two puppeteers stuck in the town of Seaside as they use their marionettes to make a modest living in hopes of one day making it to a larger and more profitable stage. Judy (Mia Wasikowska) and Mr. Punch (Damon Herriman) have an understanding that in their current state of poverty they are doomed to merely become just another pair of simpletons within their village whose only source of entertainment outside of seeing a puppet show is casting a rock towards whichever villager is condemned to die that week. As their aspirations grew, the duo strives to make changes within their partnership and marriage that will better their chances, however, as Punch believes his concessions are too much to bear, he becomes selfish which results in a drastic outcome that change both Judy and Punch’s lives forever.

Thankfully for a film centering around puppeteers, there are few scenes actually involving puppets. Instead, Judy and Punch chooses to pull focus towards the duo’s intertwined lives as husband and wife. Judy is a level-headed housewife who is not given proper credit for her contributions to their success while Punch is seen as a genius who has yet to reach his full potential but is held back by his vices of drink and womanizing. Wasikowska as Judy is given plenty to do with her character as she undergoes an impressive evolution that plays to her strengths as an actress. Meanwhile, Herriman is the perfect casting for the self-indulgent Punch who wonderfully leans into the character as his path becomes darker and darker with each passing minute. However, outside of these two actors, the film does little else with its supporting characters. While several of the characters shine as they are provided darkly comedic moments within the film in between the main narrative, there are not enough of these to truly warrant remembering who they are.

Sadly, outside of the first act of the film, the momentum of the plot takes a drastic nosedive leaving the story to spin its wheels until the final third. It’s a predictable maneuver that leaves the overall product vulnerable to criticism. In the end, despite these missteps, it is still able to offer enough originality through its tone, sharp dialogue, and dark humor that should keep viewers interested until its resolution.

Overall, Judy and Punch is a semi-interesting story placed within a twisted and darkly interesting world. Many times it answered the question I have always wondered,

“What would it look like if Ari Aster made a comedy?”

And whether you want to know the answer to that will determine how quickly you should watch this film. Judy and Punch seems ultimately doomed to become another tile to skim past when attempting to find something to stream. While certain elements come together to help bring the film to life, ultimately experiencing these few good moments were not enough to justify a full-hearted recommendation to others.

*still courtesy of A71*

Check out my Critics Without Credentials podcast on iTunes and Spotify.

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook. Also subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Critics w/o Credentials

Trying my best to get all thoughts about TV and Film out of my head and onto the interweb.