Sick-Fantastic Fest Review

            At the beginning of our screening of Sick, the new slasher from the mind of Kevin Williamson (Scream), we were told it was the first pandemic slasher film. I could make a good argument that almost every slasher film could be described that way, as most of them take place in isolated places. I guess that is my roundabout way of saying that set during the quarantine wasn’t going to make this special for me, but that’s ok, there is plenty of things that make Sick a formidable Slasher.

         In the early days of COVID, when states and the country are shutting down, we meet a man who is trying to find some toilet paper, you remember, the good times. While at the store he gets some cryptic text messages that suggest he is being watched, but a middle finger in the air should take care of that problem. We soon learn it does not and after a struggle, a hooded man with a mask gets the best of him and well it looks like we have a killer on the loose. That is when we meet Parker (Gideon Adlon), who is leaving school to quarantine at her family’s lake house with her friend Miri (Bethlehem Millon). To Parker this is just an excuse to miss some school and live it up a little, but Miri is taking this a lot more seriously. So after some scolding about wearing a mask, Parker and Miri make the drive to the middle of nowhere, I mean what could go wrong? Everything seems chill until DJ (Dylan Sprayberry ) shows up unannounced and ruins the vibe. He though is not the only visitor that are going to have that night

Written by Katelyn Crabb, from an original story from Williamson, takes a post-COVID view on the pandemic, often showing things that will cause you to chuckle with today’s knowledge. While only receiving story credit, Williamson’s fingerprints are all over this movie, including the strong female characters that both Miri and Parker are. You can tell pretty quickly they are not going to go down without a fight and they are both as intelligent as they are fierce in defending themselves. Sick sticks most of its landings when it comes to a good slasher, including a the home invasion aspect and some great chase sequences, which are done with gusto by director John Hyams. Needless to say if you like Williamson’s previous work, Sick is something that you will enjoy.

Like most slasher films Sick is better with a crowd, as being scared and laughing at dumb decisions is a communal thing. There is also plenty of tension and while it might not be groundbreaking, it sticks to a true and tried formula that has a unique backdrop. Having Hyams as a director also helps as he is able to apply the dynamic visuals that has made films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer hits. Sick is another feather in that cap and one that will remind you that practicing social distancing is beneficial when a killer is after you.