Photosensitivity Warning: There is a brief flashback sequence near the start of the film and a longer sequence during the climax wherein lights flash quite frequently. There’s no strobing and it’s somewhat predictable, but may still be triggering for photosensitive viewers.
Forget logic, forget realism — sometimes all you want from a movie is pure entertainment. Give us a ride, a reason to guzzle soda and chomp popcorn, a pure, unadulterated escape. Sometimes, you just need a return to the glory days of sword and sorcery epics in the vein of Heavy Metal (1981), Conan the Barbarian (1982), and Red Sonja (1985) where the action is entirely on-screen, the beasts practical, and the quest is one that brings peace to the realm. Having its North American premiere during Fantastic Fest 2025 is writer/director Steven Kostanski’s latest project, Deathstalker, a reboot of the 1983 title which embraces the essence of the subgenre while infusing it with Kostanski’s particular brand of gore and mayhem, offering up to audiences an escape that’ll have you laughing one moment and disgusted the next. If you loved his film PG: Psycho Goreman (2020) (and who doesn’t love a good hunky boy), line up for Deathstalker now.
Daniel Bernhardt as Deathstalker in DEATHSTALKER. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios/Radial Entertainment.
In a time of wizards and magic, the battle between Abraxeon and the Dreadite soldiers of sorcerer Nekromemnon (Nicholas Rice) rages on, leaving rivers of blood and the wails of the dying in their wake. Among them is a former Abraxeon Knight-turned-scavenger whose skills with a blade are so legendary that only Nekromemnon’s finest assassins are sent for him, the one they call Deathstalker (Daniel Bernhardt). After coming across a particularly bloody battle, Deathstalker comes into possession of a sacred amulet, but, before he can trade it in for a bounty, he learns that it’s imbued with a curse that ties itself to whomever possesses it until their death. Worse yet, Nekromemnon desires it in order to prevent a prophecy so as to destroy the realm and all beyond it. In order to free himself and get out from under the scent of Nekromemnon, Deathstalker must seek out the wizard known as Doodad (Laurie Field/Patton Oswalt) before all is lost.
Daniel Bernhardt as Deathstalker in DEATHSTALKER. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios/Radial Entertainment.
For those unaware, the original Deathstalker released intending to capitalize on the Conan energy. That film and this one are related in the sense that Kostanski uses the Deathstalker name, but the stories are not the same. They each involve wizards, warriors, pig men, and sword fights, with the similarities more or less ending there. This iteration provides a fascinating mimicry of the stories of that era, for better or worse (more shortly), while making it totally of today via modern techniques and technology. This results in a cinematic experience that’s as much an homage to the sword and sorcery subgenre as it is an adventure based on its own merits. Truly, if they had called the lead anything but Deathstalker, the film works in the same vein as Kostanski’s Psycho Goreman in that it unapologetically delights in blood splatter without sacrificing an engaging story in a silly world populated by a mix of actors engaging with other actors in elaborate costumes, practical effect rigs, or tangible props. Is it fun seeing a somewhat comic book accurate Thanos (Josh Brolin) beating the tar out of the Avengers? Sure. But there’s nothing like watching a sword-wielder chop off an opponent’s arm or stab the broken end of a blade into one of the heads of a two-headed adversary. In a time where filmmakers rely on CG to build a world, there’s comfort to be found in the ridiculousness and terror of full-body costumes and latex monsters. Even when the creations offer up a tokusatsu vibe, their tangibility brings an authenticity to the adventure that’s impossible to ignore.
This brings us to the things that work in its favor and are a natural part of sword and sorcery/tokusatsu which need to be understood as part and parcel of the subgenre. Things like the absolute discrepancy between Field’s physical work and Oswalt’s vocal work as Doodad. In any other picture, the fact that Field’s mouth rarely seems to articulate Oswalt’s dialogue would be a strike against it, an utter distraction and suggestion of inexperience or some other problem between matching performers. (The recent merging of two performers to bring Toxie to life confirms it can be done seamlessly.) So why not here? To paraphrase Oliver Platt’s Rupert Burns in Bicentennial Man (1999), the imperfections create humanity. In the case of something like this, it brings the imperfections that make the original Conan and Red Sonja (or even Masters of the Universe (1987)) stories so damn charming as they sought to do their best to create and inspire wonder within the limitations of the tech at the time. In that same vein, Kostanski’s use of stop-motion, of backgrounds that are stylized like mattes, and creatures of various shapes, sizes, and abilities, all coalesce into a world in which the imperfections make it wondrous.
These types of imperfections, though, may deter some from seeing what Kostanski is doing and perceive it as failing to match with modern films. Heck, even the ways in which Deathstalker transitions from moment to moment in the film, without exposition or explanation, may come off to some as a weak script, when, more than anything, it’s honoring the narrative styles that came before it. The other side of the coin is that there’s room to create an homage, to incorporate the imperfections while also fixing that which makes sense to address. For instance, Deathstalker often goes from one place to another, especially early on, without much explanation provided to us. On the one hand, he’s alone, so he’d either have to talk to himself or his horse. Deathstalker isn’t Beastmaster, so this means he mostly just moves from place to place without any real explanation until Doodad joins him, in which case exposition disguised as conversation becomes more natural and connective tissue becomes more clear. Additionally, just about everything that happens within the runtime of Deathstalker is about getting the audience to a new outburst of violence; but this isn’t a bug, it’s a feature, and Kostanski knows this. If you understand this, too, you’ll get the most out of the experience.
L-R: Daniel Bernhardt as Deathstalker and Laurie Field/Patton Oswalt as DooDad in DEATHSTALKER. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios/Radial Entertainment.
One cannot speak on Deathstalker without talking about the cast and how perfect they are for it. While audiences are typically more used to Bernhardt in supporting roles in which he’s being a punching bag for the protagonist (John Wick; Logan; Birds of Prey; Nobody), the stuntman/actor/director has credits going back to 1996’s Bloodsport 2, working within the action genre either as the lead himself or in support. Bernhardt is even responsible for the training that Bob Odenkirk went into for Nobody that actually aided him in surviving his heart attack. All this to say that when Bernhardt swings the sword or delivers a line, there’s impeccable accuracy, which only feeds the comedic aspects of Deathstalker’s intentional nature. As a scene partner, Bernhardt is matched with the hilarious Oswalt who, pitch-perfectly often comes off in the same way as his Parks and Recreation character, Garth Blundin, whose filibuster is the stuff of legend (and confirmed inspiration for the opening of The Book of Boba Fett). Given the magical claptrap Doodad must utter, there’s a really special aspect to having Oswalt giving it his vocal all, as well as lending his unique geek aura to the character. Of course, it’s Field who has the hard job of making the character believable in front of the camera, embodying the vibe imbued by Oswalt, and, in their partnership, the audience is able to conceive of the budding friendship that helps open Deathstalker’s heart. There are, of course, others within the film that make up both friend (Christina Orjalo’s Brisbayne) and foe (Paul Lazenby’s Jotak) and each of them understand Kostanski’s assignment: make it weird, make it big, and, when appropriate, make it bloody.
L-R: Jon Ambrose as Pigman and Daniel Bernhardt as Deathstalker in DEATHSTALKER. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios/Radial Entertainment.
In a time where folks sometimes struggle to tell the difference between what’s computer-generated and what’s reality thanks to the influx of generative A.I., there’s an incredible comfort in a film like Deathstalker which doesn’t try to trick or manipulate its audience. The use of CG is about uplifting what’s on screen, whether it be special effects, prosthetics, costumes, or stop-motion creations. In this way, Deathstalker is more than a fantasy adventure romp, it’s a reminder that going back to basics is often even more satisfying than trying to bridge the uncanny valley. Especially when Kostanski incorporates techniques that inspire feelings from Amblin Entertainment (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Renaissance Pictures (Army of Darkness), we have that experience of knowing that we’re watching something special and that it’s worth getting invested in.
Screening during Fantastic Fest 2025.
In theaters October 10th, 2025.
For more information, head either to the official Deathstalker Fantastic Fest or Shout! Studios webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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