By Jacob Cameron

The Bondsman is a new show from the tag team of Amazon and Blumhouse. Amazon has found success in the TV world with The Boys and Reacher. Blumhouse has had success mixed with dips in quality in the movie world. But this partnership has made for surprisingly compelling results with this outing.

The Bondsman stars Kevin Bacon, who plays Hub Halloran, a bondsman hunting the lowest of the low. After a collar gone awry, Hub finds out that he died and was brought back to life with a twist. He has been commissioned by the mysterious company Pot O Gold to kill demons. If Hub sends enough demons back to hell, he will be set free. Hub begins to exorcise demons of various levels while stumbling upon a disturbing conspiracy and receiving a second chance in his personal life.

The best way to describe this show is that it feels like a fusion dance of Supernatural and Evil Dead. However, this show has enough interesting elements to where it doesn’t feel like a derivative. There are enough compelling story beats to where you  don’t just secretly wait for the part Kevin Bacon kills a demon. The show is compelling; and not just because of the supernatural parts.

Kevin Bacon’s turn as Hub Halloran is a fascinating one. He could’ve easily turned into a caricature, but there’s a balance between being flawed and likable. Hub Halloran is far from perfect, but he makes an admirable attempt at redemption. Over the course of the season, his journey includes fighting demons from hell and confronting personal demons. Making amends with his ex-wife, son, and mother. Along with holding on to secrets that could destroy his second chance.

The rest of the cast is more than fine in their roles. Jennifer Nettles, Beth Grant, and Damon Harriman all do good work. Hub has a lot to answer for in regards to all of these characters, and it’s all handled well. I assumed that these characters would be taken in a different direction than what ended up happening. And I thought this was for the best.

This is a show about hunting demons; there is a lot of demon hunting. There is also a lot more gore than I was expecting. Considering that Amazon and Blumhouse do not tend to shy away from the blood, there are some shocking sequences. So one should be careful and know their mileage when it comes to their tolerance for gore.

The ending is a bit of a weird ending. It’s a cliffhanger that remains to be seen as to how it will be received. Without giving away too much, the show sets up a climactic battle. This battle happens; but not in the way that one might expect. Ultimately, it teases what might happen if there is a season 2. In the end, The Bondsman was a pleasant surprise. It was a blast to watch in all aspects.

4 stars