The Bondsman review – the scariest thing about Kevin Bacon’s demonic thriller? His singing in 2025.
The Bondsman review
The Bondsman Review – The Scariest Thing About Kevin Bacon’s Demonic Thriller? His Singing in 2025.
Table of Contents
As 2025 approaches, horror fans are bracing for a slew of terrifying releases, but one movie that has captured significant attention is The Bondsman, a supernatural thriller that stars Kevin Bacon in a role unlike any he’s taken before. Directed by newcomer Samara Brown, The Bondsman tells the chilling story of a man who finds himself entangled in a nightmarish deal with a demonic force, only to learn that his fate is tied to the very music he once loved. What starts as a tense, eerie tale soon spirals into something even more unsettling: Kevin Bacon, in all his unsettling glory, singing his heart out. Is this the scariest thing to come from The Bondsman? Perhaps so.
The Plot: A Deal with Darkness The Bondsman review
The premise of The Bondsman is one that’s not entirely new to horror fans but is given a fresh twist through Brown’s direction and the stellar, if unexpected, performance of Kevin Bacon. The film centers around Michael Webb (Bacon), a once-promising musician who has fallen from grace and now lives a shadow of his former self. One night, desperate to restore his career and overcome a deepening personal crisis, he is approached by a mysterious figure known only as “The Broker” (played by a sinisterly calm and cryptic character, perhaps one of the film’s greatest revelations). The Broker offers Michael a deal: the chance to regain his lost fame in exchange for his soul.
What begins as a relatively straightforward Faustian bargain takes an unhinged turn when Michael begins to realize that fulfilling the terms of his agreement doesn’t just involve performing — it involves invoking demonic powers through his music. As Michael’s music becomes more charged with sinister forces, his performances start to warp reality, resulting in catastrophic consequences that affect everyone around him. The demonic powers that he has invoked begin to take a deeper hold on him, slowly turning him into a vessel for malevolent spirits.
Bacon’s Role: Michael is a layered character. He’s a man battling personal demons (including substance abuse and guilt from a past tragedy), and his inner turmoil provides a strong emotional backbone to the film. Bacon’s portrayal of Michael is one of desperation and remorse, and he delivers a compelling performance in the quieter, more dramatic moments. But it’s when the supernatural forces start influencing his behavior that The Bondsman becomes truly terrifying.
Kevin Bacon’s Demonic Transformation: A Singing Nightmare The Bondsman review
While the premise is intriguing and the pacing taut, the most unsettling aspect of The Bondsman comes in an unexpected form: Bacon’s singing. As Michael becomes more entwined with the demonic forces, the music he creates takes on an increasingly haunting quality, culminating in scenes where Michael is forced to sing — not just in the traditional sense, but in a way that literally channels the demonic presence. These musical moments are not just creepy; they’re downright disturbing.
Bacon, known for his acting chops but never particularly for his musical talents, takes the film’s musical sequences to another level of unease. The first time audiences hear Bacon sing in the film, it’s a jarring experience. His voice is strained, off-key, and unsettlingly flat, which at first feels like an odd choice. But it soon becomes apparent that the dissonance in his singing is intentional: it mirrors Michael’s own internal conflict and descent into madness. As he gives in further to the demonic forces, his voice seems to warp, becoming more distorted and grotesque with every note.
In one particularly gut-wrenching scene, Michael performs an eerie, slowed-down version of a popular song. The camera lingers on his face as he sings, sweat dripping down his brow, his eyes wide with terror as the demonic presence takes full control. The music echoes in the background, its offbeat rhythm growing louder, enveloping the viewer in a sense of impending dread. This is no longer just a bad singer — this is a man who has been twisted, his soul unraveling with every breath.
The sheer discomfort that Kevin Bacon’s voice creates in these moments is, perhaps, the most terrifying thing about the film. It’s not the supernatural forces or the grotesque imagery that lingers in the mind after the credits roll — it’s the sound of Bacon’s tortured singing. If horror films have taught us anything, it’s that nothing is quite as unnerving as witnessing a character slowly lose their humanity, and Bacon’s voice becomes a haunting symbol of that loss.
Atmosphere and Direction: A Perfect Storm of Horror The Bondsman review
Brown’s direction in The Bondsman is meticulous in crafting a dark, suffocating atmosphere that ramps up the tension throughout the film. The pacing is slow and deliberate, allowing the viewer to become increasingly uncomfortable as Michael’s descent into madness deepens. The cinematography is bathed in moody shadows, with moments of piercing light that often highlight the horror at hand. The film uses darkness as both a literal and figurative tool, with scenes where the demonic forces manifest in unexpected, subtle ways — from flickering lights to distorted reflections.
One of the film’s most chilling elements is the use of sound. The demonic songs that Michael is forced to sing reverberate through the soundtrack, and the film’s sound design creates a disorienting effect. The eerie, otherworldly music plays a large role in building the sense of fear, and it becomes almost a character in itself. The growing sense of dread is felt not just through visuals but through every unsettling note Michael sings.
The horror in The Bondsman comes in waves — it’s not just jump scares or grotesque imagery, but a creeping sense of dread that builds over time. When the film leans into its supernatural elements, they feel genuinely threatening. The presence of evil is not just felt in the world around Michael but in his very body. His transformation into a vessel for demonic forces becomes palpable, and the slow unraveling of his sanity is reflected in his increasingly unhinged performances.
A Mixed Reception: Praise for Bacon, But… The Bondsman review
Despite the film’s disturbing atmosphere and clever incorporation of music as a supernatural element, the reaction from critics and audiences alike has been somewhat mixed. There’s no denying the strong performances — particularly from Kevin Bacon, who takes his character on a truly unsettling journey. His portrayal of Michael is nuanced and captures the depth of a man trying to cling to what’s left of his humanity while being pulled under by forces beyond his control.
However, the film’s pacing and tone, while deliberate, sometimes feel too slow for some viewers, leaving them frustrated by the long build-up before the truly terrifying moments hit. The incorporation of music, though innovative, is a divisive choice. While some viewers found Bacon’s off-key singing to be a perfect metaphor for his character’s unraveling, others were put off by the jarring, dissonant vocals, which at times seemed too forced or exaggerated.
There is also the question of the film’s overall message. The idea of using music as a vessel for demonic influence is intriguing, but the film doesn’t always delve deeply enough into the broader implications of this. Is The Bondsman trying to comment on the power of art, fame, or the dangers of personal ambition? These themes are present but feel underexplored, leaving some viewers wanting more depth in the story’s exploration of its supernatural elements.
Is Bacon’s Singing the Real Horror?
Ultimately, The Bondsman succeeds where many supernatural thrillers fail: in creating a truly unsettling, immersive atmosphere that stays with the viewer long after the film ends. However, whether or not Kevin Bacon’s singing is the “scariest” part of the movie depends on the viewer. For some, his tortured vocals might be the stuff of nightmares. For others, it may be the unsettling sense of reality slipping away that strikes the deepest fear.
In 2025, when audiences reflect on the scariest horror films of the year, The Bondsman may be remembered not for its demonic horror or spine-chilling moments, but for Kevin Bacon’s performance as a tortured soul driven to the brink of madness by the haunting music he is forced to create. Whether or not you find his singing terrifying, one thing is for sure: The Bondsman has made its mark as one of the most unique, and at times, unsettling horror films of the year.
Conclusion:
The Bondsman is a film that explores the horror of internal collapse, using the demonizing force of music as a metaphor for the way ambition and personal demons can destroy an individual. Kevin Bacon’s portrayal of Michael, combined with his unsettling vocal performances, ensures that this demonic thriller will stick with viewers long after the credits roll. While it may not be for everyone, The Bondsman stands out as a horror film that dares to be different — and, for some, its most frightening feature might just be the sound of Kevin Bacon’s voice. Whether that’s a compliment or a criticism, it certainly adds an unsettling layer to an already chilling film.
The Bondsman review
