-Written by Kyle Bain.
A young man, Sonny (Daniel Doheny), and his father, Don (Steven Ogg)–a plumber–arrive at an apartment building for a routine job. Sonny, a stressed out germaphobe, is here against his will, but wants to impress his father and attempt to move on after the loss of his mother. Scared Shitless follows this father-son duo who find themselves among an alien race living in the plumbing, sure to threaten their lives and ravage anyone in their path.
What an absolutely absurd film!
But absurd doesn’t always mean bad, and sometimes it’s the absurdities that make a film enjoyable. That’s most certainly the case with Scared Shitless. As a matter of fact, I’m not entirely sure that “absurd” is strong enough a word to describe what this film is. The film is effectively home to a bunch of shit monsters that decapitate whomever crosses their path. It’s a wild ride, the comedy is ridiculous, and it’s actually quite enjoyable–with one of the best character actors in the world to play the lead.
Ogg is best known for his roles in Grand Theft Auto V and The Walking Dead. He plays a similar, Deliverance-esque douche bag in both, and fans of each of the franchises loved him–including me. He’s a slightly dialed back version of those characters here in Scared Shitless, but he, again, gets to play a similar role, one that he has effectively brought to life time and time again throughout the course of his career. He fits the role perfectly, and the lukewarm character works to propel the film forward from start to finish. He does well playing the veritable man’s man, the tough, gritty father that has seen it all and only wants the best for his kid(s)–even if it takes some tough love to see them become successful. He is ultimately the face of the film, and he’s successful in giving it purpose, strength, and humor in a way that manages to resonate with viewers through the many nonsensical aspects of Scared Shitless.
The comedy present in Scared Shitless is childish, silly, ridiculous–but it works. You need to have something of a child-like sense of humor in order to appreciate the comedy in this film, or, at the very least, you have to be able to sit back, relax, and just accept the things that are happening. I exist somewhere in between the two, and that allowed me to appreciate this film. The narrative is stupid, the characters possess a level of absurdity throughout, and Director Vivieno Caldinelli uses a couple of cheap tricks to bring Scared Shitless to life (but they aren’t out of character for the film as a whole). Caldinelli and Writer Brandon Cohen know what they have in Scared Shitless, and they use it to their advantage.
A culty sort of film, Scared Shitless fits into the category of campy horror-comedy, and it works. It’s not a film made for everyone, but it will certainly find its audience and it will appeal to them. I enjoy the darkness that exists in every facet of the film, the way that Ogg falls back into shoes similar to roles he’s played in the past, and the silliness that helps to provide a bit of gusto. Scared Shitless certainly works, and what I anticipated might be a mess ultimately ends up being an effective film full of fun.
Directed by Vivieno Caldinelli.
Written by Brandon Cohen.
Starring Steven Ogg, Daniel Doheny, Chelsea Clark, Marcia Bennett, Mark McKinney, etc.
7/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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