A terrifying horror-thriller set during the height of the pandemic. As the world shuts down due to the worsening health crisis, Parker and her best friend Miri decide to spend their time isolating at the family lake house miles away from the nearest neighbor. What begins as an ideal quarantine vacation takes a horrifying turn when a unexpected intruder ignites a frenzied fight for survival. A film by John Hyams, starring Gideon Adlon, Bethlehem Million, Dylan Sprayberry, and Joel Courtney.

On 3 April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the United States, the government orders nearly all citizens to stay indoors. With over 273,800 cases reported and no signs of slowing down. People panic and stockpile food and supplies, quickly emptying shelves in stores across the country.

As Tyler (Joel Courtney) strolls through the supermarket, he receives ominous images and messages from an unseen stalker. The mysterious assailant follows Tyler to his apartment, sneaks inside, and brutally murders him.

Parker (Gideon Adlon), having decided to quarantine with her best friend Miri (Bethlehem Million), drives her to her family’s secluded lake house. On arrival, Parker receives a text message from an unknown sender, but disregards it.

In the evening hush, the sound of a vehicle parking in front of the house pierces the air, startling Parker and Miri. Parker has invited no one else, and the house is secluded, so it is highly unlikely that someone would stumble upon it by chance.

Through the backdoor enters DJ (Dylan Sprayberry), a young man with whom Parker has had a fling. He has driven to the lake house after seeing a photo that Parker posted on Instagram, but his true motive is to confront her about a video clip of her kissing another boy at a party.

DJ attempts to persuade Parker to become his girlfriend, but Parker refuses. DJ resolves to stay until tomorrow morning, and Parker reluctantly agrees. As DJ walks outside to his truck, a masked figure slips into the house through the front door he left open.

A slasher film directed by John Hyams with a screenplay written by Katelyn Crabb and Kevin Williamson, whose notable writing credits comprise the slasher film franchises Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. This film exceeds my expectations, surpassing SCREAM (2022) in its compelling and comical nature.

The opening sequence of SICK evokes Scream’s iconic opening scene with a subversive twist: the first victim is a male, and the close-up fight is both engrossing and immersive, drawing the viewer into the film’s world from the very start.

The filmmaker’s skillful editing and framing intentionally portray the assailant as a shadow lurking behind the unsuspecting characters, creating a palpable sense of impending danger. I admire their use of surgical masks as a comic element, especially in such a serious story. The scene where the characters dance while spraying anti-bacterial surface cleanser spray, is particularly noteworthy.

SICK demonstrates that the slasher genre still offers room for innovation, unburdened by traditional tropes. The filmmaker successfully crafts inventive and memorable scenes, even if some are hilariously implausible, such as the scene where the assailant dives into the lake and attacks from beneath the raft.

SICK premiered at Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2022. The film was released exclusively on Peacock streaming service on 13 January 2023.