The Bondsman is a horror-comedy series that tells the story of Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon, comical and ever charismatic), a murdered bounty hunter in the south whose bound for Hell due to his own sins, before being brought back to life by the Devil to hunt demons on Earth that have escaped the pits of Hell.
When Hub is first “recruited” as a demon hunter, the family owned Halloran Bond Shop is bombarded with what seems to be telemarketing calls from a company called Pot O’ Gold. When a woman named Midge (Jolene Purdy) shows up at his doorstep to tell him what’s happened to him and how his services are needed, Hub soon finds out that said company is a front for the devilish agency enlisting him.
Through his missions to hunt these demons on Earth – which are hilariously sent through to Hub via an outdated fax machine – viewers are simultaneously taken along on a journey of Hub’s life and how he got himself into the situation he’s landed in. Audiences get to understand Hub’s past as a bounty hunter working for his mother, Kitty (Beth Grant), and how he had to abandon his love of country music to continue the family business. The themes of music are surprisingly heavily scattered throughout the series, which might seem out of place initially with the more gory horror aspects, but it ends up being an incredibly important element to the development of characters in both the show and the plot in general.
Viewers also get to dive deeper into Hub’s family affairs, watching his despair and struggle in trying to amend the relationship with his estranged ex wife, Maryanne (the immensely talented Jennifer Nettles), and teenage son, Cade (Maxwell Jenkins), who have been taken under the wing of another crime mogul in town, Lucky Callahan (Aussie Damon Herriman).
With a tight eight episodes, each being about 30 minutes long, The Bondsman is a seamless watch from start to finish with no fillers or dull moments, told in the most harmonious way possible. We jump right into the action and gore, each beat thrilling and leaving audiences wanting more. The comedic timing from Bacon also adds to the charm of it all, easing the tension of an otherwise sinister watch.
It would also be hard not to mention the chemistry between the cast. The relationships between each of the characters feel so genuine, with it feeling like there were very real familial dynamics at play. Taking this palpable chemistry a step further, Bacon and Nettles even contribute to the soundtrack of the series, lending both their vocals and penmanship to a series of songs heard throughout.
With Blumhouse behind The Bondsman, it’s a treat to see their usual cinematic horror flare emitted for the smaller screen as it is here, with audiences hopefully experiencing that same rush of adrenaline saved for such productions as Get Out, Happy Death Day, and the Insidious franchise.
Excuse the pun, but it would be a sin not to tune into the show.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
All eight episodes of The Bondsman are available to stream now on Prime Video.
