Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival usually attracts some pretty legendary names in genre cinema, and this year it’s legendary screenwriter Kevin Williamson. His film, Sickis a return to form, horror-thriller that feels familiar but not in a way that causes frustration.
The film follows two best friends who decide to quarantine together at their secluded lakeside family home, only to discover that they may not be alone. The movie is interesting because it uses a lot of slasher tropes, but it doesn’t have a lot of kills, making it a combination of slasher, home invasion horror, and survival thriller.
The film has a very small cast due to the nature of the story, which presents a bit of a challenge. While the latter worked through its set of memorable characters to become a victim (or suspect), this one attempts a much more intimate vibe with mixed results. The actors are all good, but no one is good enough to carry the film.
Horror Fans Probably Know Willaimson’s Name As The Scribe Behind The ’90s Horror Masterpiece Scream. With his latest film, his first feature in nearly two decades after a successful television career, he reflects on the legacy he created. In a way, this movie could almost be described as a “COVID Screamwith several beats that will sound familiar to the audience.
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Admittedly, given that the movie unfolds in a somewhat sluggish fashion, it ends up feeling rather predictable. The twist isn’t super effective and isn’t nearly as insightful or edgy as it seems to think. Still, there’s something to be said for the comfort of a well-crafted, familiar horror movie, and this movie delivers the kind of thrill the genre desperately needs.
COVID also makes a perfect setting for a horror movie. The most effective horror movies create a sense of isolation, so shooting a movie during the COVID pandemic is a perfect excuse to create that enforced isolation. Yet unlike so much other COVID media, this film doesn’t look like it was made in bad taste, becoming more of a release from our pandemic-related anxieties than an exploitation of them.
Either way, what the film lacks in memorable characters, it makes up for in genuine horror scenes. The film is directed by John Hyams, a filmmaker best known for his work in the action genre, and he brings his penchant for adrenaline-fueled action here, with some sets that are some of the best you’ll see in any horror movie this year. .
Horror fans will be delighted by Sick, a good old-school horror movie. It’s not breaking new ground in cinema, but it’s taking advantage of its COVID setting enough to deliver solid scares and an entertaining genre picture. 7/10.
Sick screened at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, which ran from September 8-18.
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