On paper, Deathstalker, the new film from Psycho Goreman director, Steven Kostanski, is a winner – a sword and sorcery 80’s throwback with a tongue planted firmly in cheek. It should be superb. Well, I’m pleased to report that Deathstalker is not only a winner; it’s an absolute triumph, and one of the best films of 2025.
Despite being one of my favorites of the year, Deathstalker is hard to review. The reason being that it walks this unbelievably thin line between respectful homage and absolute piss take. It’s silly – goofy even. But there’s a distinct sense of Kostanski really wanting to honor the original Deathstalker. And that’s where its beauty lies. This film is both daft as a brush and extremely clever.
The plot is fairly simple, despite a cavalcade of hard to remember names like Nekromemnon, Jotak, and Despairon. We follow the titular Deathstalker (played by stuntman, martial artist and John Wick alum, Daniel Bernhardt) as he becomes the
owner of a mystical amulet. The bad guys are after said amulet. Deathstalker, on the other hand, has a quest to return it to where it belongs. Along the way, he meets some friends: Doodad, a wizard voiced by Patton Oswalt (Blade Trinity), and a master thief, Brisbayne (Christina Orjalo). Together, they must face a series of perilous environments and an onslaught of incredibly deranged creatures. Carnage ensues.
It may sound relatively rudimentary but what makes Deathstalker stand out is its magic. The film feels like a cross between Conan the Barbarian and Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and it works wonderfully well. Did I mention the violence? Yeah, the film is extremely gory. Positively gross in parts.
Steven Kostanski’s background is in practical effects, and he often forsakes CGI favor of big rubber suits and prosthetics. It’s refreshing. Kostanki builds an incredible world with what I assume was a very small budget. When watching the film, at no point did I think it looked cheap or half-assed. Far from. It feels like the director truly executed his own vision (Kostanki also wrote the film). It’s a bizarre, twisted world that makes Deathstalker feel more like a spiritual sister to Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness than other films of its ilk. But I can’t help but feel that the film wouldn’t work with a bigger budget. Deathstalker needs to be more Xena: Warrior Princess than The Lord of the Rings.
The cast is on board, too. It’s easy to tell that Bernhardt is having the time of his life, tapping into his more comedic side. There’s a lot of violence in Deathstalker but there’s a lot of laughs too. I’d say about 85% of it works – there’s a horrible pun later in the film I felt was misplaced and flat out bad, for example.
And that’s what Deathstalker is about: FUN. I smiled all the way through, reveling in the ridiculousness of it all. Few films make me feel like a teenager again, but fifteen-year-old Shaun would have loved this film, and I was able to channel that joy for its entire runtime. It made me feel giddy – punch-drunk, even.
Deathstalker is an important film. We need more movies like this – strange and unusual genre hybrids with a unique mind at the helm. It’s as far away from cookie cutter as can be. What other film is going to feature legendary hard man, Daniel Bernhardt, giving a loving hug to a swamp monster? It’s the slotting together of several awkwardly shaped pieces. And yet, when they come together, they make one hell of a picture. And I haven’t even mentioned the monumental score courtesy of long time Kostanski go-to, Blitz/Berlin. It’s pure nostalgia in audio form. Another integral piece of this fantasy gem.
The action too! I write for Film Combat Syndicate and haven’t even mentioned the action. To be entirely honest, the action is simplistic. Rurouni Kenshin this isn’t. But it ties perfectly into the genre the film’s borrowing from. We don’t need Hong Kong cinema-style swordplay in this one. Just give me two burly dudes clanging blades and I’m happy. Which is what Deathstalker does. It knows its limitations and plays it very intelligently. This isn’t to say the fight scenes are lacking. They’re a great. A 60-year-old Bernhardt still moves as swiftly and gracefully as ever, and the film’s fight coordinator, Alex Chung, designs everything with impact and bite.
There’s a difference between a film being entertaining and a film making someone happy. Deathstalker made me happy. Are you familiar with the Antonio Banderas meme? The one where he leans back from his computer in pure glee? I think I did that exact meme once the credits rolled on Deathstalker. On that note, I don’t think it’ll be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not quite as juvenile as Psycho Goreman, but it’s still pretty immature. Those looking for grit may want to look elsewhere. This is a heaping spoonful of foolishness, and I mean that in a very complimentary way.
I’m happy to put Deathstalker up there with 2025’s best. It may not be an example of impressive film making like, say, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, but it’s an absolute riot. A film that has a veritable truckload of love poured into it. Ultimately, it might divide audiences. Early reviews have been mostly middling. But I felt like I was propelled back to the 80’s, when sword and sorcery films shined. Deathstalker is a film I didn’t know I needed to see, but I’m already itching to watch it again. And again.
Deathstalker has a US release date of October 10th, from Shout! Studios and enjoyed its North American Premiere at the twentieth edition of Fantastic Fest.
