Sick is a 2023 slasher horror film directed by John Hyams, and the cast includes Gideon Adlon, Beth Million, Dylan Sprayberry, Marc Menchaca, Jane Adams and Joel Courtney
The global COVID-19 pandemic has inspired many films, with one of the best examples being Host, which turned the challenges of lockdown into a unique filmmaking approach.
But Sick goes further as it doesn’t just use the pandemic as a backdrop or gimmick, it makes it an essential part of the story, weaving the tension and anxiety of those early lockdown days into the very fabric of the film.
Kevin Williamson, well known for his writing duties on some of the Scream franchise and the upcoming director for Scream 7, is the co-writer of Sick, with Katelyn Crabb, who worked with Kevin as his assistant on Scream (2022), and the film pays homage to Scream at times as well, as well some other classic slasher films.
The story follows Parker (Gideon Adlon) and Miri (Beth Million), who decide to quarantine together at Parker’s family holiday house, as it’s isolated, comfortable, and seemingly safe.
The arrival of Parker’s ex-boyfriend DJ (Dylan Sprayberry) brings a little drama, but things spiral out of control when a masked killer shows up, targeting the teens in a way that’s tied directly to the pandemic, yes it’s a slasher film, yes, but the motives and context give it a layer of unsettling realism as well.
Sick captures details from the pandemic you will remember all too well, and it’s like a little time capsule of emotions that we all felt at the time, though I am not sure we really want to remember that, though?
Parker and Miri come across as real and relatable characters, especially in how they handle the chaos around them.
Parker is more easygoing and less concerned about safety, while Miri is cautious and their dynamic captures a situation many people experienced at the time of the pandemic and how different personalities reacted.
What also makes Sick work quite well is how streamlined it is, as it knows what kind of movie it wants to be and doesn’t waste time pretending to be anything else, and with just a handful of characters and mostly one location, it keeps the focus tight.
It’s only 83 minutes long, but it doesn’t feel rushed or incomplete, it’s the perfect length for the story it wants to tell, and once the action starts, it doesn’t let up
I wouldn’t call Sick a groundbreaking horror movie, but it doesn’t need to be, and it’s just a solid slasher, grounded in a time we all lived through but would probably rather forget.
The film mixes classic slasher vibes with a modern twist, and while it falls short in some character moments (What's new in slashers?), it makes up for it with some well crafted scenes, and the impressive practical effects and inventive kills keep it from feeling like a forgettable, run of the mill horror movie.
Overall, I found Sick to be pretty entertaining and well paced, and while it doesn't break any new ground or do anything amazing, it is a fun little slasher film, and a Peacock original offering to boot!
What are your thoughts on the film?
The film was released in film festivals in 2022, but released to the masses in 2023.