A new horror film, Bambi: The Reckoning, which reimagines the classic children's story with an environmental twist, is now available to stream for free on Tubi. Directed by Dan Allen, the film is part of the "Twisted Childhood Universe," a franchise that reinterprets public domain fairy tales and children's stories as low-budget horror movies.
The premise of Bambi: The Reckoning draws from Felix Salten's 1923 novel. Unlike the Disney animated film, this version focuses on a mother, Xana (Roxanne McKee), and her son Benji (Tom Mulheron) as they are relentlessly hunted by a monstrous Bambi. This Bambi is depicted as a massive creature with red eyes, imposing antlers, and fangs, driven by a desire for revenge against humanity due to the pollution of its forest home. The film contrasts this with an opening vignette that echoes the more idyllic scenes of the original story and the iconic, tragic death of Bambi's mother.
The narrative follows Xana and Benji as they travel to visit Benji's grandmother, who is struggling with dementia and has been painting unsettling images of antlers, hinting at the impending danger. Their journey is interrupted by the monstrous Bambi, leading to a cat-and-mouse chase where the creature exhibits extreme violence, toppling cars and breaking into their home. The film includes a notable sequence involving a group of bunnies, a direct homage to Thumper, Bambi's best friend in the Disney adaptation.
The film also incorporates a storyline involving local hunters who are disturbing the forest. Through these characters, director Dan Allen emphasizes the movie's environmental message, directly criticizing human impact on nature. This theme is rooted in Salten's original novel, which was an early example of environmental storytelling by detailing the forest's ecosystem and humanity's destructive influence.
Bambi: The Reckoning has been described as a cynical take on the classic story. While it aims for a gory, monster-movie experience and incorporates its environmental themes, it is not intended to be a nuanced or tactful film. The filmmakers have presented it as a more extreme and visceral interpretation, diverging significantly from the source material's gentler approach.
The film is part of a growing trend of horror adaptations of public domain characters, following in the footsteps of other entries in the Twisted Childhood Universe such as Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare. It is now accessible for free streaming on Tubi, offering a campy and violent horror experience for viewers interested in the franchise's unique take on beloved childhood figures.