Back in the 80s and 90s, video stores across the globe were stocked full of practical-effects-laden creature features. Films such as Gremlins, Ghoulies, and Critters were exceptionally popular, and each spawned at least one sequel. Then, somewhere along the way, audiences fell out of love with the subgenre and it’s been a long time since a film has managed to capture their energy. That was, however, until the release of Vivieno Caldinelli’s Scared Shitless.
Featuring a killer 80s rock soundtrack, Scared Shitless instantly taps into that vein of nostalgia, but the decision to root the story in the present day stops it from becoming another cheesy homage. The story follows plumber Don (Steven Ogg) and his germaphobic son, Sonny (Daniel Doheny), as they are called out to fix a clogged toilet in an apartment building. Unbeknownst to the pair, one of the residents has brought their extra curricular science project home with them, and once it escapes, it unleashes bloody carnage across the building. Can the father and son duo save the day?
The plot is kept b-movie level simple, but Caldinelli is sure to also inject plenty of heart and emotion into Scared Shitless. Of the creatures gone amok films of yesteryear, Scared Shitless certainly aligns closer to Gremlins, which amongst its insanity has tough emotional scenes such as Cate’s chilling Christmas story. Scared Shitless doesn’t go quite that hard in terms of emotional damage, but Don and Sonny are both still struggling with the death of the family matriarch. Initially out of tune with one another, the two work out their relationship kinks in tandem with trying to save the world, generating some sweet moments of tenderness.
Alongside the emotional core, there is an overwhelming bounty of practical effects created chaos to whoop, cheer, and wince through. These elements have been brought to life by effects genius, and Psycho Goreman director, Steven Kostanski. Those familiar with his work will love the design of the toilet dwelling creature. What they will adore even more is the scrapes that the creature manages to squeeze itself into. The creature and gore work is stunning, and in a just world, Kostanski would have a cabinet full of Academy Awards by now.
When the puppets and effects are as sublime as they are here, it takes a solid team of actors to perform against them. Often the power of the appearance of the creature outshines the performer, but in Scared Shitless the entire cast hold their own. Steven Ogg is especially good, exuding that 80 b-movie charm and sensibility whilst reining his performance in just enough to keep Scared Shitless somewhat grounded.
At a super speedy seventy-six minutes, Scared Shitless is tightly paced, and packed with as much heart, humour, and gore as humanly possible. The result is a short and sweet stab at resurrecting a once popular genre. A mid-credits sting teases the potential for a sequel and we at THN would love to see how bizarre a Scared Shitless film could go.
Scared Shitless
Summary
Its slim runtime and b-movie façade makes Scared Shitless the perfect midnight madness kind of viewing, though one that is careful not to sacrifice heart in favour of cheap laughs.
Scared Shitless was reviewed at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024.
