Judy (Mia Wasikowska) and Punch (Damon Herriman) are a married couple with a rambunctious puppet show in the small medieval town of Seaside which is nowhere near the sea. Judy is worried that Punch is making the show more and more violent. She dislikes the brutality of the town which includes stoning for superstitions. Punch is a drunk and causes the death of their baby. When she confronts him, he brutally beats her and leaves her for dead. He reports them missing to the new naive constable Derrick and riles up the town to hang the two innocent servants.
Watching a serious movie about dumb people can be infuriating. That's the feeling of this movie for the most part. I do like the style and the theme. While Punch is frustrating, Judy's journey is compelling. I don't really like the ending where the town learns a lesson. It seems more appropriate to burn the whole place down. The story is screaming for something more explosive. I certainly understand the idea of the goodness of the puppet show and its redemptive qualities. It's not as satisfying as I want.
Watching a serious movie about dumb people can be infuriating. That's the feeling of this movie for the most part. I do like the style and the theme. While Punch is frustrating, Judy's journey is compelling. I don't really like the ending where the town learns a lesson. It seems more appropriate to burn the whole place down. The story is screaming for something more explosive. I certainly understand the idea of the goodness of the puppet show and its redemptive qualities. It's not as satisfying as I want.