Horror Movie Review: Wizard of Death: Tinman’s Rise (2026)

Directed by William Stead and written by Michael Miceli, one look at Wizard of Death: Tinman’s Rise and it’s easy to presume that it’s just another one of ‘those’ films. You know, the slew of cheap and lazy attempts to cash in on the ‘classic childhood characters turned villain’ craze that has sunk to unfathomable depths and just keeps on going.

It’s easy to presume because the production company behind it, Champdog Films, already gave us one bad horror adaption in The Wizard of Oz: The Dead Walk. It’s easy to presume because these films are being churned out in record time, and it’s easy to presume because it’s called Wizard of Death: Tinman’s Rise, for goodness’ sake.

What’s in a name though? As in a surprising turn, Wizard of Death: Tinman’s Rise isn’t a bad film. In fact, it’s got some praise-worthy elements, least of all the idea behind it and the look of the main villain, the titular Tinman.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a great film either with middling family drama stretched thinly over slasher horror elements with supernatural twists. One that sees a hike/camping trip go wrong when a father and his adult kids come across the Tinman. What does this monstrosity want? It’s simple, a heart and it will do anything to get one.

It’s not the worst idea, right? Turning the Tinman into a slasher villain, especially when the motives are linked to the Wizard of Oz story in such a visceral and violent way. I like it, and I like how it looks. Sort of steampunk-like, but with a clear nod to the source material. It’s a vast improvement over the version seen in The Wizard of Oz: The Dead Walk, that’s for sure.

Alas, while these are praise-worthy aspects, the core of Wizard of Death: Tinman’s Rise is seriously lacking. First, the story is really basic and doesn’t actually make a lot of sense. Something not helped by characters that are barebones and kind of annoying.

No fault of the actors I think, they can only do so much, and they’re not given a lot to do. Then there’s the lack of action, with the film really dragging its heels for far too long. This makes it feel far longer than it is, resulting in a dull experience overall.

I don’t always want to be ragging on films like this, so the fact that it has positives makes it worth mentioning. Unfortunately I can’t tell you that it’s a worthwhile watch because the negatives vastly outweigh the positives still.