SICK
Starring: Gideon Adlon, Bethlehem Milton, and Dylan Sprayberry
Director: John Hyams
QUENTIN
As slashers go, Sick works well enough to satisfy the genre itch. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking – I mean, what slashers do, anymore? – but it serves its purpose. Given that it shares the same writer as Scream, the similarities between the two practically smack you in the face. It manages to lightly subvert a few expectations, but not to the degree of the 1996 classic. The COVID aspect is a bit too obvious and already feels a little dated, but it’s fine, whatever. Either way, if you’re in the market for an old-fashioned slasher that doesn’t require much effort, Sick has you covered.
NICK
I hope we’re coming to the end of COVID films, but Sick at least tries to incorporate it into the story in a unique way. In fact, it’s the only thing that really makes the film stand out. Beyond that, it’s your average home invasion horror, featuring some fun kills and story beats that are homages to several films that came before it. The cast is serviceable if unspectacular, and the script, as written by Scream scribe Kevin Williamson, does what it needs to do. It’s a solid shut-your-brain-off-and-have-fun film, and there is nothing wrong with that.
PAIGE
Sick is sharp like a butcher’s knife, and with only an 80-minute runtime, it’s a fast-paced thriller that delivers in the kills department. Writer Kevin Williamson is sick in all the right ways for crafting up another cat-and-mouse slasher (this time with a deadly pandemic twist) that is perfect for all you sickos out there craving a good, old-fashioned killfest. Admittedly, the third act kinda takes an interesting approach, one that doesn’t have enough gravitas to stick the landing, but it does have some of the most exhilarating chase sequences I’ve seen in a while.
This film was reviewed by Nick and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.