Starring Greg Sestero from The Room, Cyst is a wonderfully camp throwback to the b-movies from the sixties. Set in December 1961, Nurse Patricia (Eva Habermann) is just finishing her last hospital shift when she finds herself at odds once more with the ego-maniacal Dr. Guy (George Hardy). Guy is working on a revolutionary new machine, the ‘Get Gone’, that removes skin defects. His methods are rather extreme however, and his latest test results in a mutated and murderous cyst. The hospital staff subsequently find themselves doing everything that they can to survive.
For a film that is only sixty-nine minutes long, Cyst does take its time getting going. A large portion of the film is spent building up to the ‘birth’ of the cyst monster. It isn’t strictly necessary, considering the type of silly kitsch that film is, we don’t really need to know the ins and outs of our characters. Furthermore, any development is lost once the killing begins, making it a frustrating inefficient use of time.
People will flock to Cyst for one reason (technically two if you count Sestero’s involvement) and that is to see a giant man-sized cyst monster. Said monster is as gloriously over-the-top as you could hope for, and looks like something somewhere between a boglin toy and Power Rangers villain. As well as creating such a charming creature, Cyst has plenty of inspired gore gags. After initially taking his time, once director Tyler Russell gets to the good stuff, he goes all in. Those that love a good pimple pop will find most of the movie hugely gratifying.
Sestero is infamous for starring in everyone’s favourite worst movie ever made, The Room, and whilst once thought washed-up given his association with that film, he is now experiencing somewhat of a comeback. He can currently be seen briefly in Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Bly Manor, and although his role in Cyst is small, it’s definitely memorable. Along with the rest of the cast, Sestero tunes into that special brand of camp that made b-movies so spectacular and Cyst will most certainly have you grinning as much as retching. The sets reinforce the acting style, dialling into that b-movie aesthetic, and showcase some rather impressive production values on what must have been a modest budget.
Although it takes slightly too long getting to where the audience wants it to be, Cyst is a slice of zany fun.
Cyst was reviewed at Arrow Video Frightfest Halloween.
Cyst
Summary
A pus-filled gooey pop of camp and kitsch silliness.
