Joshua Hull’s ‘MOUTH’ (2024) – Book Review

Joshua Hull, the filmmaker/screenwriter known for such films as The Impersonators, Chopping Block, and Glorious has released his debut horror novella Mouth, a story about loss, trauma, friendship and a huge monstrous mouth in the ground. I was given the opportunity to check out an advance review copy and I’m so glad I was because Mouth is absolutely badass.

Synopsis

Screenwriter Joshua Hull (Glorious) makes his longform prose debut! After a stranger leaves him a secluded property, drifter Rusty finds himself the caretaker of a massive, tooth-filled mouth in the ground…and it’s hungry. His situation is complicated by Abigail, a wannabe filmmaker who stumbles on the secret. Together, the odd pair set out to discover the origins of Mouth and the hidden history of its former owner, setting in motion an outlandish scheme that could endanger them all.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Mouth. Well, other then a giant ass mouth in the ground. I was pleasantly surprised. I was hoping just to get a solid horror story, but I got something way deeper. Mouth is a story about loss, abuse, the trauma we carry with us, stagnating life, and broken dreams. We meet people who have been through hell in their lives and have basically given up. It’s about unlikely friendships and unexpected bonds. It about learning to let go of the past that is holding us back, It’s a cinema fans wet dream with reference to 80’s cult films, classic universal monsters, Star Wars, auteur filmmakers and 90’s horror films. It’s all these things while also being a story about a giant monstrous hole in the ground that eats anything unlucky enough to fall into it.

Did I mention the hole is actually kind of adorable?

I really enjoyed the characters here. Rusty is a loner drifter who has given up on life. Abigail is a film obsessed heavily tattooed pet store employee. Events bring them together and gradually a symbiotic relationship forms that eventually develops into a friendship. In Mouth‘s brief 194 pages we learn about their pasts, their trauma, their broken dreams, We also meet Mouth, a scary yet adorable hole in the ground that feeds on flesh and communicates through rumbles. The events  and the way these 3 characters interact is horrific, heartbreaking and heartwarming. Mouth strikes a great balance between horror and humor while being emotionally investing.

Final Thoughts

Mouth is hilarious, horrific, heartbreaking and heartwarming. The story is fun and the characters are likable and interesting and you really grow to care for them. IF you want a book that can tickle your funny bone and break your heart before piecing it back together, I highly recommend you check out Mouth. Mouth release March 15th from Tenebrous Press. You can pre-order it here.