Andy Edwards puts a savage spin on a classic fairy tale with Rumpelstiltskin, a dark fantasy horror that premiered at FrightFest Glasgow on 8 March 2025 before arriving on digital release through Miracle Media on 7 April. Starring Hannah Baxter-Eve, Joss Carter, and Adrian Bouchet, this gruesome reimagining blends sharp humour, relentless horror, and a fierce female lead who refuses to be a victim.
Baxter-Eve plays Evaline, a miller’s daughter whose father’s greed leads to disaster. After falsely claiming she can spin straw into gold, he draws the wrath of the King (Colin Malone), who locks them both in a tower and demands proof. With their lives on the line, a masked creature (Joss Carter) appears with an offer too tempting to refuse. He will turn the straw to gold, but at a terrible cost.
What starts as a desperate bargain soon spirals into a nightmare. The King’s insatiable greed pushes Evaline further into the imp’s clutches, leading her to promise something she cannot bear to lose. But when the Devil himself takes an interest in their twisted pact, the horror escalates beyond anything she could have imagined.
Edwards embraces the grotesque heart of the original tale, delivering shocking transformations, disturbing creature effects, and unrelenting tension. Carter’s physical, unsettling portrayal of Rumpelstiltskin adds to the horror, while Baxter-Eve’s Evaline brings a sharp wit and steely determination that sets her apart from traditional fairy tale heroines.
With its mix of visceral horror and dark humour, Rumpelstiltskin is a bold and fearless addition to the genre. Edwards is no stranger to pushing boundaries, and this film looks to be one of his most brutal yet. Fans of twisted folklore and nightmarish fantasy won’t want to miss it. Rumpelstiltskin premiered at FrightFest Glasgow on 8 March 2025, before hitting digital platforms on 7 April. Some stories were never meant to have a happy ending.
