SPOILER WARNING: The following gives away a few spoilers about The Bondsman. If you have not yet watched the new horror TV show with your Amazon Prime subscription, I recommend that you proceed with caution if something possesses you to read on.
I was on board for The Bondsman pretty immediately, based on the premise of seeing Kevin Bacon hunt demons. However, I cannot say I expected to enjoy this new Amazon Prime original series about a southern bounty hunter given a hellish new assignment after a deadly encounter as much as I do.
Not only is The Bondsman a gory good time, but it is also a surprisingly endearing, character-driven story with some solid performances, especially by Bacon, continuing to own his “Scream King” reputation from starring in classic horror movies like Friday the 13th and Tremors. Yet, I do not believe the show is immaculate and, in fact, there is one performance by one otherwise talented actor that, unfortunately, really came to bother me.
Damon Herriman’s Boston Accent Is Atrocious
Damon Herriman, whom you might recognize as Charles Manson in Mindhunter and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, stars in The Bondsman as Lucky Callahan, who has it out for Bacon’s Hub Halloran, especially after he starts dating his ex-wife, Maryanne (Jennifer Nettles). The criminal-turned-bar owner originates from Boston, which requires the Australian actor to put on an accent that, quite frankly, sounds more like someone who spent a chunk of his childhood in Brooklyn than anyone who has even been near New England.
We already know that Herriman – an actor I have great respect for, by the way – can do a perfect Southern accent from his role as Dewey Crowe in the Justified cast and even a convincing, more generic American accent from his aforementioned Manson portrayals. So, I can’t help but wonder why the show’s human antagonist could not be another Georgia native, saving Herriman the embarrassment. It honestly seems like the only reason Lucky is a Bostonian is to throw in a few jokes at the expense of the Red Sox.
I Also Took Issue With The Bondsman’s Non-Supernatural Elements… At First
I must admit, at the start of my Bondsman binge, Herriman’s lackluster Boston accent was the least of my worries. I found it difficult to care about anything in Hub’s life outside of his demon hunting, from his rocky relationship with Maryanne and their son, Cade (Maxwell Jenkins), to his previous pursuit of a music career.
However, as more story details came to light, such as the reveal that Hub was sent to Hell because he mistakenly killed an innocent woman, and as the plot evolved into more of a charming story of a family reunion, I began to have a change of heart. I realized that the more character-driven elements not related to demonic possession, which initially annoyed me, were necessary and emotionally effective. Overall, I came to regard The Bondsman as a surprisingly smart and heartfelt piece of work that exceeds its B-movie elements.
So, in other words, Damon Herriman’s unfortunate Boston accent is my only real gripe with this new 2025 TV show, which I certainly hope gets a second season. In fact, I think it would not feel like too much of a deal with the Devil to stream The Bondsman on Amazon Prime if you can get past that one aspect like I did.