Look, we have to talk about the red elephant in the room. When people heard there was another Hellboy reboot coming so soon after the 2019 disaster, the collective groan was loud enough to wake an Elder God. But then the names for the Hellboy The Crooked Man cast started dropping, and things felt... different. Smaller. Grittier.
Honestly, the biggest mistake the previous films made was trying to be "superhero movies." This new crew, led by director Brian Taylor, clearly went into the Appalachian woods to make a folk-horror movie instead. It’s a complete pivot. No more world-ending CGI beams in the sky. Just a damp, dark forest and a cast that actually looks like they belong in a 1950s nightmare.
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Jack Kesy is a Different Kind of Big Red
Taking over a role previously occupied by Ron Perlman and David Harbour is a suicide mission for most actors. Perlman had the charm; Harbour had the bulk. Jack Kesy—who you might recognize as Black Tom Cassidy from Deadpool 2 or from the gritty series The Strain—brings something totally new: exhaustion.
Kesy’s Hellboy isn't a swaggering action hero. He’s a blue-collar worker. He’s the guy who fixes your demonic plumbing and then wants a cigarette. He’s leaner than the versions we've seen before, which actually matches Mike Mignola’s early sketches much better. In interviews, Kesy has talked about how he related to the character’s "working-class" vibe, even mentioning his own past jobs working on garbage trucks and doing sheetrock.
That "regular guy" energy makes the horror feel real. When he’s scared, you’re scared. It’s not just a guy in a rubber suit punching things; it’s a tired investigator out of his depth in the mountains.
The Supporting Players: Tom Ferrell and Bobbie Jo Song
The heart of the story actually isn't just Hellboy. It’s the trio.
Jefferson White, known to most of the world as Jimmy from Yellowstone, plays Tom Ferrell. If you've seen him on the ranch, you know he does "haunted and regretful" better than almost anyone. In this film, he’s a man returning home to Appalachia only to find his past sins (and a few witches) waiting for him. White brings a jittery, desperate soul to Tom that makes him the perfect foil for Hellboy's stoicism.
Then there’s Adeline Rudolph. She plays Bobbie Jo Song, a rookie B.P.R.D. agent created specifically for the film. You’ve probably seen her in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Resident Evil. Adding a "normal" person to the mix was a gamble, but it works. She provides the audience’s perspective—she's the one reacting to the sheer insanity of the Crooked Man’s world while Hellboy and Tom just treat it like another Tuesday.
A Quick Look at the Key Players:
- Hellboy: Jack Kesy
- Tom Ferrell: Jefferson White
- Bobbie Jo Song: Adeline Rudolph
- The Crooked Man / Professor Broom: Martin Bassindale
- Effie Kolb: Leah McNamara
- Reverend Watts: Joseph Marcell
The Man Behind the Malformed Face
Every horror movie is only as good as its monster. In this case, the titular villain is played by Martin Bassindale.
Here is a wild bit of trivia: Bassindale actually plays a dual role. He is both the terrifying, spider-like Crooked Man (Jeremiah Witkins) and Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm. Casting the same actor as Hellboy’s father figure and his primary tormentor is a stroke of genius. It adds a psychological layer that most people totally miss on the first watch.
The Crooked Man himself is a masterclass in practical effects. Instead of a giant CGI blob, we get a spindly, twitching entity that looks like he was squeezed out of a coal mine. He’s a soul-collector, a debt-man for the devil, and Bassindale’s physical performance is genuinely unsettling.
The Witches and the Locals
The "folk" in this folk-horror comes from the ensemble. Leah McNamara plays Effie Kolb, and she is absolutely chilling. She captures that "temptress-turned-hag" vibe from the comics perfectly. You might know her from The Gentlemen or Vikings, but she’s unrecognizable here once the makeup takes over.
Then there’s Joseph Marcell as Reverend Watts. Yes, that Joseph Marcell—Geoffrey from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. If you think that’s weird casting, you haven't seen him perform. He brings a gravitas and a "man of God who has seen too much" energy that grounds the supernatural elements. He’s the one who reminds us that in these mountains, faith isn't just a hobby; it’s a survival tool.
Why This Cast Works Where Others Failed
The 2019 film felt like it was trying too hard to be "cool." It was loud, it was messy, and the cast felt like they were in different movies.
This 2024/2025 iteration feels cohesive. Because the budget was lower—reportedly around $20 million—the production couldn't rely on spectacle. They had to rely on the actors.
By casting "that guy from that show" instead of massive A-list stars, the movie avoids the distraction of celebrity. You aren't watching a Movie Star play Hellboy; you’re watching Hellboy. The chemistry between Kesy and White, in particular, feels like two guys who have both been kicked around by life and are just trying to survive the night.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven't seen it yet, or if you're on the fence because of the last reboot, here is the best way to approach it:
- Read the comic first. It’s a three-issue mini-series by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben. It’s widely considered one of the best Hellboy stories ever told.
- Watch the trailers again. Now that you know who these actors are, look at the way they move. Notice the lack of green screen.
- Lower the lights. This isn't an Avengers-style popcorn flick. It's a dark, wet, miserable (in a good way) horror story.
- Pay attention to Martin Bassindale. See if you can spot the similarities between his portrayal of the Crooked Man and Professor Broom. There’s a thematic link there about the "fathers" in Hellboy's life that is worth analyzing.
This isn't just another cash grab. It’s a love letter to the source material that finally understands that Hellboy works best when he’s just a guy with a heavy hand and a very bad week.