| Castle Freak | |
| Director: | Tate Steinsiek |
| Producer: | Kathy Charles Barbara Crampton Matt Manjourides Justin A. Martell |
| Based On: | |
| Starring: | Emily Sweet Omar Shariff Brunson Jr. Clair Catherine Chris Galust Jake Horowitz Klodian Hoxha Genti Kame Klodjana Keco Kika Magalhães |
| Music: | Fabio Frizzi |
| Cinematography: | Spiro Nino |
| Studio: | Fangoria |
| Distributor: | RLJE Films |
| Runtime: | 106 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Castle Freak is a 2020 American direct-to-video horror film that was directed by Tate Steinsiek. It has been billed as a reboot of the 1995 Stuart Gordon film by the same name, which is a loose adaptation of the stories "The Outsider" and "The Dunwich Horror" by H.P. Lovecraft.
Rebecca "Becca" Riley is a young woman whose relationship has become strained after she was blinded in an accident caused by her boyfriend John driving under the influence. This strain grows after Becca is contacted by an estate agent in Albania, Marku, who tells her that she has inherited a castle, as her biological mother Lavinia Whateley is dead. Becca knows nothing of the woman and as such is equally unaware that the castle also contains a monstrous creature that her mother had been keeping chained and that had been freed by an unknown person. Both Becca and John are excited to learn of the castle, however whereas John wants to quickly sell the castle and depart, Becca wants to learn more about Lavinia.
Once at the castle, Becca hears strange sounds and has visions, some of which are caused by the creature. Their relationship grows tenser still as John refuses to believe Becca. He has also invited four of his friends to the castle, among whom is a woman he's been flirting with, Shelly. Also in the group is The Professor, who has been studying the occult while attending Miskatonic University and the only one to believe Becca is hearing things. The two investigate the castle and a Necronomicon found within its walls, discovering a series of tunnels that leads them to Lavinia's journal. Reading, they learn that the woman was forcibly impregnated by her father during a ritual to Yog-Sothoth and that she gave birth to twin girls. Becca was put up for adoption while the other girl was born deformed and kept captive. Lavinia warns that once the two reunite and join hands, the gate to Yog-Sothoth will be opened. The two are separated in the tunnels and The Professor comes across Becca's sibling, who he successfully entreats to teach him all that she knows about the Elder Gods, converting him to a member of the cult.
During all of this the creature has also been stalking the others, picking them off one by one and raping John. Ultimately only John is left alive to wander the tunnels. He discovers Marku captive and frees the man, who reveals that it was all a setup to bring the sisters together. Marku then attacks John, who kills him in self-defense and flees the castle, where he is promptly attacked by the creature. John is successful in defending himself and is about to kill the creature when Becca arrives and begs him to spare her. This horrifies John, who beats his girlfriend until he is slaughtered by the creature. Overwhelmed, Rebecca allows her sister to lead her to the ritual site, where The Professor urges her to embrace her destiny. She obediently takes her sister's hand as the gate opens to allow Yog-Sothoth into the world and Rebecca's body undergoes a monstrous transformation.
In an after credits sequence The Professor enters his office at the university, where he is identified as "Mr. Armitage".[1] He then greets a man he calls "West" as a glowing vial sits on the desk.
On April 15, 2018, it was announced that Cinestate and Charles Band would be producing a remake/reboot of Castle Freak, along with the film's original star Barbara Crampton also producing and special effects artist Tate Steinsiek set to direct.[2] [3] Announcing his involvement with the project on Instagram, Steinsiek wrote, "It's such an honor to be taking not only a Stuart Gordon classic but also embracing the world of Lovecraft."[4] [5] Crampton later announced that the film would feature an "Expanded Lovecraft Universe", with some elements from the first film, while introducing many new characters.[6]
Castle Freak was initially intended to screen at the Chattanooga Film Festival on April 16, 2020,[7] however plans were altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the film festival was held online. The film debuted on Shudder on December 3, 2020, followed by a release to VOD and digital HD on December 4, 2020.[8] [9]
JoBlo.com's Arrow in the Head wrote that they wished that Castle Freak had been more ambitious, criticizing the characters as one dimensional and unlikeable while also noting that the movie's kills were satisfying.[10] It was also reviewed by Gruesome Magazine.[11] Culture Crypt rated the movie as 55/100, writing that ""Castle Freak” 2020 reminded me what Full Moon movies were like at their height, with silly storylines, shoddy yet sincere craftsmanship, and midnight movie charm. For me, I appreciate “Castle Freak” for momentarily bringing back those memories, even though I don't have one of the original."[12]