Taking a job with his dad, germophobic Sonny (Daniel Doheny) comes face-to-faeces with his worst nightmare after attending a routine house call at a packed apartment block. Dad’s job? Plumber. Dad? Steven Ogg, of Grand Theft Auto V and The Walking Dead fame. The shit, as they say, is about to hit the fan.
In pitting the nebbish germophobe and his vulgar father against a genetically engineered toilet creature, this grisly comedy-horror makes good use of its charismatic star, letting Ogg cut loose and crack wise amid the unfolding chaos. As Sonny teams up with plucky night manager Patricia (Chelsea Clark) to get to the serious business of investigating the infestation, Ogg’s Don is left to it, schmoozing the resident pensioners and butting heads with the local influencer (Brynn Godenir).
Scared Shitless is unrepentantly goofy, featuring a good level of splatter and appropriately yucky creature designs. While director Vivieno Caldinelli and screenwriter Brandon Cohen rarely take Sonny’s germaphobia seriously (it never once rings true that you’d find the guy anywhere near a U-bend), the grotesque use of practical effects serves as a neat contrast to his fear of what lies in the loo.
Unfortunately, perhaps due to the low budget, it peaks as it’s just getting started, wrapping (or wiping) up in an all-too-brief 76 minutes. This lack of fibre extends to Sonny’s relationship with his father; while it’s always fun to see Steven Ogg do Trevor Philips again, their arc feels unfinished and too unserious for the later dramatic beats to hit as intended.
Scared Shitless is a brisk, breezy work of toilet terror featuring dynamic performances and deviously gory action. But, like a good poop foiled by over-greased bowels, it’s over too soon.
SCARED SHITLESS is in US cinemas and digital platforms from October 3rd.
