SICK (2023) spoiler free review

Being in the middle of a pandemic can be scary, but realizing that someone out there is trying to kill you can turn the situation into a nightmare. Sick is a 2022 American slasher film directed by John Hyams (Alone) and written by Kevin Williamson (Scream, Scream 2, Scream 4, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Faculty) and Katelyn Crabb (Scream 5). Produced by Blumhouse and Miramax Sick premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022 and was released on January 13, 2023 by Peacock.

Due to the pandemic, Parker and her best friend decide to quarantine at the family lake house alone – or so they think.

Film synopsis

The cast includes Gideon Adlon (The Craft: Legacy) as Parker Mason, Bethlehem Million as Miri Woodlow, Dylan Sprayberry (Teen Wolf) as DJ Cole, Joel Courtney (The Kissing Boot) as Tyler Murphy, Marc Menchaca (Manifest, Ozark) as Jason, and Jane Adams (Poltergeist) as Pamela.

My opinion

Starting with a strong and but familiar opening scene Sick turns into a fun modern slasher. The influence of others slashers like Friday the 13th (1980), House of Wax (2005), and Scream (1996) can be notice from the start. This doesn’t comes as a surprise since the film is written by Kevin Williamson who has worked in the Scream franchise and another slasher classic I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Sick balances the slasher formula with modern horror creating a fun and entertaining horror movie. While it fails with some details and portrait of characters this is compensated with tense and well played cat and mouse sequences. That combined with good practical effects and creative kills the film elevates from turning into a unmemorable and basic horror film. Sick even makes a good use of being set during April 2020, the peak of the COVID19 pandemic. Instead of being just an element to bring the audience to watch it is used as the plot twist trigger. Enjoy this pandemic slasher film with your friends or alone now available in Peacock Tv.