The Hermit (2025) Review
In his first creature role since CBS’s The Incredible Hulk, global icon Lou Ferrigno returns to the screen, and steps into the horror genre for the first time, in the cannibal horror/thriller THE HERMIT. Uncork’d Entertainment will release the film on Digital and On Demand platforms March 3, following a Los Angeles premiere on March 2.
In this dark horror tale with a quirky edge, Ferrigno plays a cannibalistic pig farmer who makes and sells jerky made from human flesh. The film is also led by Malina Weissman (Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events”) and Anthony Turpel (Hulu’s “Love, Victor”), two familiar faces for younger genre fans.
THE HERMIT is directed by U.S.-based Italian director Salvatore Sclafani and produced by Gerry Pass of Chrome Entertainment alongside Sclafani’s First Child Prods. THE HERMIT is Sclafani’s first English-language feature production, after producing the 2019 thriller Tyger Tiger starring Dylan Sprouse.
Dragged unwillingly on a woodland retreat, teenagers Lisa and Eric find their trip descending into a fight for survival when they encounter a reclusive cannibal pig farmer. While the premise promises grim intensity, The Hermit ultimately delivers something far gentler and safer than its subject matter suggests.
One of the film’s most notable casting choices is Lou Ferrigno as the titular hermit. For audiences who remember him as the silent, tragic figure in The Incredible Hulk, Ferrigno brings the same physical presence here. He remains imposing, and his performance is effective within the film’s limitations, relying more on body language than dialogue. However, rather than presenting a terrifying menace, Ferrigno’s portrayal leans toward sympathy. He feels more like a misunderstood recluse than a figure of pure horror, which diminishes the sense of threat the film so clearly aims to build.
The narrative centres on Lisa, played convincingly by Malina Weissman, who recounts her ordeal through a television interview. This framing device results in a structure heavily reliant on flashbacks, which unfortunately undermines suspense. By establishing her survival from the outset, the film removes much of the immediate tension, replacing visceral fear with retrospective storytelling. While a late twist adds some justification to the interview format and is reasonably well handled, it arrives too late to restore the tension that the film struggles to maintain.
Tonally, The Hermit feels closer to a made-for-television thriller than a true horror film. Despite moments of gore, these scenes lack impact due to the film’s soft visual style and restrained direction. Everything feels oddly comfortable and polished, which stands in stark contrast to the brutal realism associated with genre classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. The film even nods to the latter by naming a character after Clarice Starling, a reference that feels more superficial than meaningful.
Ultimately, The Hermit is not without merit. It is competently made, watchable, and features a committed central performance. However, it never fully embraces the darkness or psychological intensity its premise demands. Rather than leaving the audience disturbed, it offers a surprisingly warm and restrained experience. For casual viewers, it may serve as passable entertainment, but for horror fans seeking something genuinely unsettling, it is likely to feel disappointingly tame.
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