Kevin Williamson and Katelyn Crabb’s Sick begins with a mini-scroll. Aside from informing viewers of the early COVID onslaught, directives to self-isolate, and the early death toll, there is a vital establishing date: April 3, 2020.
The date is crucial in setting the scene for Sick. The film takes place throughout a single night in the early days of the epidemic, when dread, distrust, and, yes, wrath dominated many of our encounters with everyone within a six-foot radius.
There’s a lot of sarcasm in COVID and its procedures, such as toilet paper shortages and refusing to help someone in a life-or-death scenario because they’re not wearing a mask. Characters are also seen wiping down foodstuffs with antibacterial wipes, an antiquated procedure that most people abandoned early on during lockdown. Several of these instances serve as memories of how society reacted to the novel virus while COVID was still in its early stages. When Dr. Fauci’s name is mentioned in Anderson Cooper, the main characters even conduct a drinking game.
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Parker (Gideon Adlon) and her college roommate Miri (Bethlehem Million) are self-isolating in Parker’s abandoned family property following the collapse of their school. It’s just the two of them, and Miri, the more careful of the two, demands that Parker, who is more casual (bordering on flippant), adhere to all health and safety rules including masking and social distance.
Naturally, the serenity is swiftly disturbed when Parker’s sidekick DJ (Dylan Sprayberry) shows up unexpectedly. After witnessing a social media image of her kissing Benji (Logan Murphy), he spends the night attempting to get Parker to accept their common love.
Parker (Gideon Adlon) and her college roommate Miri (Bethlehem Million) are self-isolating in Parker’s abandoned family property following the collapse of their school. It’s just the two of them, and Miri, the more careful of the two, demands that Parker, who is more casual (bordering on flippant), adhere to all health and safety rules including masking and social distance.
Naturally, the serenity is swiftly disturbed when Parker’s sidekick DJ (Dylan Sprayberry) shows up unexpectedly. After witnessing a social media image of her kissing Benji (Logan Murphy), he spends the night attempting to get Parker to accept their common love.
The opening act, like most slasher films, is filled with character development and world-building. The three individuals’ interaction is central, as is the topography of the abandoned lake’s massive, multi-story home. In classic Williamson flair, the gags, jump scares, and fake-outs arrive early and often; the writing has an easy rhythm to engage up, especially when the three protagonists settle in for the night and Nima Fakhrara’s menacing sonar-like music kicks in.
The anticipation of what is about to happen is pleasant, but the reward is much better. Williamson highlighted his love of pursuit scenes in horror at the TIFF post-screening Q&A, and John Hyams, whose film Alone is a masterpiece in suspenseful set pieces, is the right filmmaker to bring that vision to reality. Fans of Williamson’s Scream 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer chase sequences will enjoy this. The pursuit begins as soon as the masked intruder appears, and it continues throughout the film. The adrenaline rush is palpable as the activity spreads into the home, the woods outside, the floating raft on the lake, and everything in between.
One of the film’s strongest points is that anything, from knives and axes to Checkov’s antlers, accelerant, and electronic meat cutter, may be used as a weapon. Everyone has a chance to shine in the never-ending assault, and the violence is harsh and brutal, frequently captured in uncompromising long takes. As a result, Sick has several wince-inducing traumas and cheer-worthy blows that will leave spectators gasping for air.
The enormous final surprise is arguably the film’s least successful part. There is a deadly reason behind all of this senseless murder and damage, but the politically correct explanation will definitely divide people. The mileage of the audience will undoubtedly vary.
Fortunately, the remainder of the movie is so good that this is an easy recommendation. Fans of Scream will see many references to his most famous work in Sick, particularly the opening sequence in which college student Tyler is hounded by threatening messages before being assaulted in his house. Crabb and Williamson’s hat off to Casey Becker’s suffering is extremely evident, as if to scream, “Williamson’s back, baby!”
