“Piper” (2023) [Pigeon Shrine FrightFest]

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Piper by Anthony Waller and Ratcatcher Entertainment, courtesy of the 2023 FrightFest Film Festival.

Synopsis

Liz and her daughter Amy move to Hamelin where a dark secret in Liz's past is uncovered by the restless spirit of the Pied Piper, who seeks out those who have gotten away with a crime, and punishes them by taking away their children.

The Good

Joseph: Piper is a beautiful-looking film — kudos to Roger Simonz for his excellent cinematography work and to all who worked on set design, costumes, and art — that fits more into the dark fantasy subgenre than horror, in my opinion. If considered in this manner — and as a preteen or even family-friendly entry — Waller’s film ultimately offers a slick-looking serving of genre fare.

Mike: The setting of Piper lends itself to some very nice scenery that gives the film an almost fairytale look, which makes a bit of sense since this is inspired by “The Pied Piper”. The plot is pretty solid and is an interesting spin on the legend of Hamelin’s most famous rodent exterminator. With old storybooks and cartoons portraying the titular Piper depict him as a happy-go-lucky looking fella, the character here looks almost demonic, which is appropriate considering the supernatural abilities he displays. There are a few decent, albeit mild, scares as he uses said powers to appear on rooftops and outside of windows.

The Bad

Joseph: Some good ideas and a seemingly sizable budget are neutralized by a fair amount of corniness and a rather elaborate reason for the titular villain to run amok. Piper is neither suspenseful enough nor scary enough for seasoned horror aficionados, and the decision making on the part of several of its characters is questionable at best. Mature teens are sure to find the romance between Amy and nomadic horseman Luca Shandor (Jack Stewart) on the jejune side of things, while younger viewers are likely to be bored with it.

Mike: There’s a bit of bait and switch going on here with Piper. Based on the trailer you’re expecting a rather dark and scary movie, however what you actually get is a movie that seems geared towards tweens - a step or two beyond a gateway horror flick, but not quite at a level you might see on, say, the CW. Characters are shallow and tend to switch emotions more than someone with a TV remote might switch channels, there’s an illusion of urgency that never really seems quite legitimate because, despite subject matter that might traumatize actual people, nobody in the town of Hamelin seems to have the gravitas the issues deserve.

There are also some tonal shifts scattered throughout - almost slapstick comedy shifting right into bleak, emotional drama - to cause whiplash in some viewers.

The Verdict

Joseph: To me, Piper feels like it is meant for a wide theatrical release with ratings possibly being the equivalent of the American PG-13. Viewers seeking out family-friendly horror or those interested in dark fantasy or dark takes on fairy tales should find the film to be a polished effort worth a watch.

Mike: While this looks pretty scary on the surface, it’s really not - landing somewhere between Goosebumps and Poltergeist. There are some heavy thematic elements like suicide and murder, but anything dark is balanced out by some (out of place) funny moments and a family-friendly budding romance. If you’re looking for a movie to watch with your twelve or thirteen year old kid, or maybe on a date night with a significant other who’s not too into horror, Piper would be a very good choice.

Piper, from Ratcatcher Entertainment, UK distributor 101 Films, and VMI Worldwide, screens as part of the 2023 Pigeon Shrine FrightFest, which runs August 24–28 in London. For more information, visit https://frightfest.co.uk/.

Piper will receive its UK general release from 101 Films.

Piper