Vegans Rejoice: Bambi is Getting Revenge
by Justine Norton-Kertson
Watching Bambi as a very young child is one of those memories that still lingers in the corners of my mind. I can vividly recall the tears streaming down my face as Bambi’s mother was killed by a hunter, my tiny heart crushed under the weight of the tragedy. While I may not be vegan, the idea of Bambi flipping the script and avenging his mother’s death stirs something primal in me. A part of me cheers for that vengeful deer, picturing him as a symbol of justice against the heartless cruelty of humanity. Enter Bambi: The Reckoning, a horror twist on the classic tale that promises to bring that fantasy to life—with a bloody edge.
Twisting Nostalgia into Nightmares
Bambi: The Reckoning is the latest offering from Jagged Edge Productions, the studio behind the viral phenomenon Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. These “Twisted Childhood” films take beloved, public-domain characters from children’s stories and turn them into horrifying monsters, wielding blood and gore in ways that would make their original creators shudder. Based on Felix Salten’s novel Bambi, A Life in the Woods, this reimagining portrays Bambi not as a gentle forest dweller, but as a feral, vengeful buck.
Gone are the wide-eyed innocence and gentle lessons about nature. Instead, this Bambi is on a violent rampage, fueled by the trauma of witnessing his mother’s death at the hands of hunters. It’s a transformation that flips the script, asking the audience to reckon with their own complicity in humanity’s dominion over nature.
Revenge in the Forest
The plot of Bambi: The Reckoning centers on a young mother, Xana, and her son, who find themselves stranded in the woods after a car accident. Their survival becomes a brutal struggle as they become caught in Bambi’s warpath. The premise echoes the survival-horror genre, with the serene beauty of the forest turned into a claustrophobic death trap. This time, it’s not just hunters who need to fear Bambi’s wrath—no one is safe.
While details about the film are still scarce, the promise of bloodshed and terror is front and center. Director Scott Jeffrey has teased that the film will take inspiration from the creature-horror classic The Ritual, which means we can expect grotesque imagery and primal fears coming to life in the shadowy woods.
For vegans and animal rights activists, Bambi: The Reckoning could feel like poetic justice. In a world where hunting and environmental destruction often go unchecked, the idea of nature fighting back resonates deeply. It’s easy to draw parallels between Bambi’s revenge and the real-world consequences of humanity’s exploitation of animals and ecosystems.
However, this film isn’t just about vengeance or moral lessons—it’s about reclaiming beloved characters and twisting their narratives into something unrecognizably thrilling. It’s a love letter to horror fans and those who find a strange, cathartic joy in turning nostalgia on its head.
Whether you’re a fan of the original Bambi or someone who relishes the idea of turning innocent tales into gruesome spectacles, Bambi: The Reckoning promises to deliver. It’s not here to tug at your heartstrings; it’s here to rip them out entirely, one antlered charge at a time.
So vegans, animal lovers, and horror aficionados alike, rejoice: Bambi is getting revenge. And for those of us still haunted by the memory of that hunter’s gunshot, there’s a certain satisfaction in imagining Bambi’s story coming full circle—this time with the predator becoming the prey.
