OTTO: NOT A F***ING HORROR STORY & THE PUPPET ASYLUM
The theatrical release of Sky’s Otto Baxter: Not a F***ing Horror Story has led to stellar reviews ahead of its televisual premier on Sky Documentaries. Described as ‘eye opening… vivid and uplifting’ by the Daily Mail and ‘a film with vital things to say’ by Total Film, the feature-length documentary follows Otto Baxter, a person with Downs Syndrome, as he writes and directs a cinematic horror short film, The Puppet Asylum, reimagining his own life, from birth to becoming his own master.
The Sky Original joint project has been commissioned for Sky Documentaries by Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries and Factual and Hayley Reynolds, Commissioning Editor.
The Puppet Asylum short film accompanying the doc is written and directed by Otto Baxter with Sally Phillips serving as an executive producer.
Otto Baxter: Not A Fuck***g Horror Story is directed by BAFTA winners Bruce Fletcher and Peter Beard and produced by Daisy Allsop. David Nath is the executive producer. Produced by All3Media backed Story Films, in association with Sky Studios and Archface Films, and developed with the support of the BFI awarding National Lottery funding.
The Puppet Asylum and Otto Baxter: Not A F***ing Horror Story will air on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW in 2023
OTTO: NOT A F***ING HORROR STORY & THE PUPPET ASYLUM REVIEWS
“Revelatory”
“[A] lively, affecting documentary”
“It’s a doc with vital things to say” ★★★★
Total Film
FILM OF THE WEEK
“Charming, talented and adept, as well as changing attitudes, the very funny Otto also can’t fail to make you laugh.”
The Sun
“eye opening… vivid and uplifting”.
“Brimming with honesty and humour, it’s as unique and uplifting as its very cheeky hero”
Daily Mail
“heartswelling… this documentary is full of warmth and understanding” ★★★★
SciFi Now
“An excellent documentary”
The Arts Desk
“Not a Fucking Horror Story is an emotional rollercoaster of a documentary. “
“There is the occasional documentary that comes from nowhere and surprises everyone. This year that honour goes to Otto Baxter: Not a F*cking Horror Story. “
Otto Baxter: Not a F*cking Horror Story is a rousing battle cry, not for equality, but simply to let everyone live their life their own way.
“More than a straightforward documentary about an extraordinary individual, Otto Baxter: Not A F***ing Horror Story is a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to live, rather than to “be kept alive.”
A documentary of immense heart and humour.
Otto Baxter: Not A F***ing Horror Story has a lot of love for the art and craft of filmmaking, but it’s Otto’s resilience and artistic flair that really make this documentary fly.
Peter Beard and Bruce Fletcher’s documentary is a loving tribute to a cult horror director in the making.
A heartening story of an impressive man
The Sunday Times
THE PUPPET ASYLUM REVIEWS
“Watched on its own, The Puppet Asylum is an impressive debut short; viewed in tandem with this documentary, it takes on a powerful psychological context.”
“Baxter absolutely qualifies for auteur status thanks to the way he channels autobiography into genre, using horror to raise personal issues”
“Otto’s film is assured and effective”
“Shades of Tim Burton, David Lynch and Jan Svankmajer permeate Baxter’s directorial debut”
“An impressive debut”
“film-director extraordinaire, Otto Baxter.”
The Arts Desk
“There is the occasional documentary that comes from nowhere and surprises everyone. This year that honour goes to Otto Baxter: Not a F*cking Horror Story. “
Otto Baxter: Not a F*cking Horror Story is a rousing battle cry, not for equality, but simply to let everyone live their life their own way.
“this complicated yet endearing diptych exemplifies the kind of thing that someone with Down Syndrome can achieve if given half the chance, making the short and its accompanying documentary not just biopics, but activist works. These films are also, thanks largely to Otto’s irrepressible personality and his rapport with Fletcher and Beard, charming and funny.”
“[this] history-making production is an impressive reclamation of power on multiple fronts.”
“The parallels between Baxter’s life story and his creative endeavour may be apparent to anyone watching The Puppet Asylum, but the context given in Otto Baxter: Not A F***ing Horror Story truly allows audiences to comprehend the entirety of what the young man is capable of.”
“ a cult horror director in the making”.
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