The Unhealer review by Bobby Blakey
Shout Factory not only continues to bring the classics to blu-ray, but also new features across all genres. Their latest film The Unhealer is one of those films starring TikTok superstar Elijah Nelson, Kayla Carlson, Adam Beach, Chris Browning, Cristi Harris, Branscombe Richmond, Natasha Henstridge, and Lance Henriksen with 9/11 director Martin Guigui. Could this film bring hope to the sick or will it fail to be able to heal anything?
The Unhealer follows a bullied teenager gains the means to fight back when a botched faith healing bestows supernatural, shamanistic powers upon him. When his lifelong tormentors pull a prank that causes the death of someone he loves, the teen uses his newfound abilities for revenge and goes on a bloody rampage to settle the score.
I knew nothing heading into this film other than the always great Lance Henriksen was in it so I was all in. I was surprised by its direction and it was nothing that I had expected in a good way. Sure there are some issues but overall it was a fun new direction for the genre. This isn’t really a horror film although it does feature some great gore moments and kills, but plays up more in the realm of supernatural.
The cast are all fine with some performances a bit questionable, but overall works fine. There is a clichéd predictability to the characters as it sets up pretty much everyone you know will die in some fashion and you kind of want them too. The behaviors of everyone involved, especially the “bullies” is a bit infuriating as there is no adults stepping up to see what they are doing and instead acting just as bad as they are. This makes them all less redembable and just deserving of death.
This is the norm for this genre, but doesn’t make it less annoying. That aside I really dug the direction of the story and its Native American roots. The nature of how it works with the powers makes it fun and creative with a familiar idea done in a new fresh gory way. I was a bit bummed that Henriksen didn’t get more to do, but is still an important player to the bigger story.
This was a fun bloody surprise that is worth checking out. Decide for yourself and grab your copy of The Unhealer available now on Blu-ray and DVD.