Kevin Bacon’s new demon-hunting sequence The Bondsman is the right companion to the comedian e book tableau of Robert Kirkman’s Outcast. Apart from the sidesplitting doses of darkish humor and head-splitting carnage in every, each sequence revolve round an existentially compromised central character who grapples with as many inner demons as exterior. Granted, The Bondsman has a bit extra enjoyable and a sillier tone than Outcast, however past that, the 2 are excellent pairings for horror aficionados.
Other than the character-driven premise, The Bondsman and Outcast share extra in widespread by being set within the American South, offering a selected regional texture that helps distinguish each from the spate of supernatural TV reveals. For many who loved Outcast’s two seasons on Showtime however are on the fence about The Bondsman, the latter will undoubtedly scratch the itch left within the latter’s void.
The Bondsman
3.5
/5
- Launch Date
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April 3, 2025
- Community
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Prime Video
‘The Bondsman’s Premise
Grainger David created The Bondsman for Prime Video. The supernatural horror motion comedy stars Kevin Bacon as Hub Halloran, a bail bondsman who tracks down escaped criminals and bond-jumpers in rural Georgia together with his mom, Kitty Halloran (Beth Grant). Within the pilot, Hub locates one in every of his bounties however is shot within the again and has his throat fatally slit. Moments later, Hub’s corpse is mysteriously revived, and he goes about enterprise as if nothing had occurred.
As soon as his neck scar quickly heals and three marks seem on his wrist, Hub realizes one thing sinister is afoot. Hub’s bounty steals Kitty’s truck, prompting the mother-son duo to pursue them throughout their small city. As Hub searches for solutions to his new undead existence, he seeks recommendation from Maryanne Cube (Jennifer Nettles), a former flame and aspiring country-Western singer with huge plans in Nashville.
What’s most amusing in regards to the present’s conceit is that his job hardly modifications as soon as Hub realizes he has been killed and resurrected. As a substitute of looking bond jumpers, Hub should hunt demons stalking the land and the native church led by Fortunate (Damon Harriman). There’s additionally a deft mild contact that balances the horror and comedy that mockingly eludes Outcast at instances, regardless of deriving from a comic book e book. In different phrases, The Bondsman is much less austere and extra comedic than Outcast.
‘The Bondsman’s Hub Halloran Vs. ‘Outcast’s Kyle Barnes
Whereas The Bondsman shares extra in widespread tonally with Ash vs Evil Lifeless or Hap and Leonard, its predominant character is much like the Outcast‘s protagonist. Outcast revolves round Kyle Barnes (Patrick Fugit), a disturbed man who has been stricken by demonic possession his complete life. Very like Hub, who tries to unpack why he has been resurrected and tasked with looking demons, Kyle races to uncover why he can not rid demonic possession from his soul.
Each central characters are conflicted in regards to the exact scourge they’re tasked with eradicating from day one, making them sympathetic figures that blur the road between good and evil. That is the central tie that binds the 2 horror reveals collectively. Furthermore, whereas they each hunt demons, in addition they grow to be possessed by them, giving the Hub and Kyle a novel shared perspective.
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Additional connecting The Bondsman to Outcast is the distinct American Southern setting. Outcast occurred within the small city of Rome, West Virginia, however was filmed all through South Carolina. Equally, The Bondsman is ready in rural Georgia, with Alabama native Beth Grant working wonders along with her genuine Southern accent (as at all times). Grant’s Donnie Darko co-star Jolene Purdy additionally stars in The Bondsman as a personality named Midge. After all, Donnie Darko additionally came about in Virginia.
‘The Bondsman’s Tone Is Extra Comedian Booky Than ‘Outcast’
With The Bondsman‘s brisk half-hour episodes in comparison with Outcast’s hour-long chapters, the distinction between comedy and drama stays the starkest. Though Outcast relies on Robert Kirkman’s comedian e book, the laughs are few and much between. There are transient moments of levity at instances, however the tone and tenor are rather more extreme and suspenseful than The Bondsman, as Kyle grapples together with his tormented soul and tries to make amends for harming his spouse and daughter.
Due to this fact, Outcast can be scarier than The Bondsman, which leans into the mordant comedy in methods followers may anticipate from a Kirkman comedian e book. By way of the Six Levels of Kevin Bacon horror roles, Outcast is extra like Stir of Echoes whereas The Bondsman is extra like Tremors. Each TV sequence are extremely beneficial regardless of differing of their tone, tenor, and temperament.
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The Bondsman can be filled with extra motion, violent fights, and graphic shootouts, whereas Outcast is extra contemplative and dramatic. Nevertheless, each ship the unremitting carnage that followers anticipate from a demon-hunting horror present. Kevin Bacon might have extra gravitas and movie-star command than Patrick Fugit, however each reveals depend on the inside turmoil their predominant character faces en path to discovering religious redemption.
Though The Bondsman debuted with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it has gone down since to grow to be extra aligned with Outcast. The Bondsman holds an 83% Critic Ranking and 74% Viewers Rating, whereas Outcast carries an 81% Critic Ranking and 83% Viewers Rating. Each reveals additionally boast related IMDb scores, with The Bondsman‘s 7.4 in comparison with Outcast‘s 7.3. Due to this fact, past their related premises, each reveals equally resonate with a broad spectrum of viewers.
The Bondsman is accessible to stream on Prime Video.