Customer Reviews

Sick Girl (Special Edition)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Imagine sitting through the most gloriously depraved mutilation/rape scene you've ever seen - I won't give away the gory details here, but I honestly think it may have outdone anything to be found in "Der Todesking." Not the most disturbing rape scene, per say - it's going to take a filmmaker with a LOT of balls to take that title from "Irreversible" - but just the most deliciously conceived and executed trasho-horror exploitation ever. Now imagine that scene set to "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO - such genius would be cause to throw up your hands in thunderous applause! Which I did.

This scene is one of many gems to be found in "Sick Girl," writer-director Eben McGarr's smart, sick, and shockingly good independent horror film, which will be released on DVD August 25. Sick Girl (Special Edition DVD) (...and no, it's not "Mr. Blue Sky," but it may as well be - Aaron Moreland and Dennis Haggerty's "Familiy Tree" is as perfect a throwback to such 70's vocodered summer-fun-in-the-sun classics as one could hope to find). Smarter than your average slasher film, it's the story of Izzy, a somewhat unhinged teenage girl who spends her time slitting throats, splitting heads, and doing unspeakable things to nuns. She also has three victims tied up in her barn, who she occasionally visits to dole out increasingly sadistic acts of mutilation.

That said, where the film transcends is that it also displays, and really centers on, another side of Izzy - a teenage girl who has been forced to raise her little brother Kevin on her own when their big brother is sent to Iraq. We see that Izzy cares deeply for her little brother, and feels affection and appreciation for kind neighbor Barney (played by McGarr's brother John) who consistently steps in to help raise Kevin. I always love movies that present psychos with their own sense of code: it is a credit to McGarr that Izzy does not kill a kindly stranger who comes to her aide halfway through the film, nor that she senselessly kills a rat that comes into her possession. In the hands of a lesser director these would have simply called for more scenes of carnage - despite the bloodbath this girl unleashes, she comes to have a "character," and it's in keeping with her character that she does, or does not do, the things she does throughout the film. That's very impressive for a film which contains a graphic dismemberment.

Credit is also due to actress Leslie Andrews - she gives Sleepaway Camp's Pamela Springsteen a run for her money as cinema's most convincingly cheeky slasher girl. There are so many scenes which have an impact that hinge on her performance, and she nails it every time. In one scene in particular, when she makes full advantage of a young bully's developing sociopathy, it is her control and her understanding of character that keeps the scene from being at all campy - it's an effective and chilling scene, and one of true horror that, at least for me, was totally believable despite its extreme grimness. That she doesn't then set the boy loose to continue down his path is, again, a credit to the filmmakers - she knows that kid is sick, and she uses it to her advantage, but that kid's not going anywhere. He's a bully - bully's are "bad." Again, without the right performance, such nuances in "code" are lost on villains - it's why we're able to quietly feel for Henry in "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," and why by the end of "Sick Girl," we kind of don't want to see anything bad happen to Izzy.

There's a humorous subplot in the film involving Kevin's teacher, Mr. Putski, and his missing rat (I can't remember the rat's name right now, but it gave me a chuckle). I am glad for this subplot, if for no other reason that it brought back to horror cinema one of its lost sons, "Fright Night's" Stephen Geoffreys, as the teacher. It was essentially a cameo role, but it was good to see ol' Evil Ed again. And again, it lent for another great character moment - Izzy, despite her brutality, rescues and returns Mr. Putski's rat. How can you hate someone that returns someone's beloved rat?

I really love this movie, and am glad that McGarr is giving a fresh new voice to horror - I look forward with great anticipation to see what he does next.

Logan Crow
[...]

Let's cut to the chase. The creator-provided synopsis goes, "A girl who wants to protect her little brother, f___ her older brother and torture everyone else out in the barn." Any questions? Well, while undeniably accurate, the film isn't quite as simplistic as this would suggest. Izzy (Andrews) is left to bring up her young brother (Trepany) after her older sibling heads off to Iraq with the Marines - both parents are absent, and the reasons for this are, interestingly, never made entirely clear, though we have some evidence for Izzy's involvement. The only one who helps out is Barney (McGarr) a biker who plays Santa Claus at the local hospital, but it's soon made clear that Izzy is entirely capable of fending for herself. Especially when a proto-thug at the local school decides to pick on her kid bro.

Izzy is an intriguing mix, a character somewhere between Juno and Dexter; to those she loves, she is fiercely loyal, yet anyone else had best not cross her, or the results will be horrific, in ways beyond your imagination [certainly, at least one sequence goes well beyond our imagination!] I think it's her sheer cold-blooded approach that is the most chilling thing here, and Andrews is simply phenomenal in the role, possessing a calmness which is completely unnerving. Even when engaging in brutality of the most appalling sort, you suspect her heart-beat rarely goes above 85. She even takes time out to lecture small children on the evils of bullying, where her philosophy is, "There's nothing wrong with hurting things smaller than you - providing you also take on things bigger than you. Then size is irrelevant." Cold: very cold. If you want to peer into the abyss which is the very darkest corner of the human psyche, then this is low-budget cinema at its brilliant best. However, you should be aware that you might see things you will not easily forget.

Sick girl was a pleasant surprise. Its a no hold barred movie that moves at a great pace and definitly has some eye opening\closing moments. Sick Girl runs along the I am a distrurbing type of movie rather than a scary one. So no out of the our seat jumps here. There are also some good laughs along the way but this is by no means a horror comedy. For its budget (not much) it worked well with they could do. Gory scenes are not cheezy effects but rather look honest and believable.

Be prepared to listen intently. The sound is horrible. You can barely make out what they are saying and the sound effects and music are overly loud.

Sick Girl comes recommended for jaded horror fans who need a scene or two to bring a smile to their face as well as the viewer who enjoys the serial killer movies (Gein, Lucas, Gacy etc....)

Most Christmas movies are too trite, corny, and over-sentimental for my taste. Not this one. This is about a girl who spends her Christmas exchanging gifts with her kid brother and a biker friend. It's not quite clear what happened to her parents. Her older brother is a Marine deployed to Iraq. So it's just the three of them, celebrating the holiday.

Afterward, she goes to the barn behind the house. This place is way out in the country, so no one else is around. Inside, she has three people tied up; each one has offended her in some way. Each suffers a cruel fate at the hands of this girl, who is truly sick. I won't give away all the nasty little tidbits along the way. Suffice it to say that this movie will never be one of those old holiday favorites that the TV networks run every December.

I thought that I was totally desensitized by watching violent, horror movies my whole life but this one made me cover my eyes a few times. Warning!! This movie is not for everyone. I was not expecting much when I rented this on Netflix, but I was pleasantly or unpleasantly surprized. This movie was not made on a big budget, hence the reason I wanted to watch it in the first place. The acting is really good and sometimes believing (some actors in this flick are just horrible). Overall, I really enjoyed this movie enough to purchase my own copy. This review is directed only toward the hardcore horror fans!!!

This isn't your average horror movie if you're into mainstream horror.
This digs much deeper into the character's psyche and shows no mercy.
If you're into twisted independent horror movies that have lots of gore you won't be disappointed.

The girl isn't the best actress in the world, but it doesn't really take away much from the movie since the film itself is unpredictable and leads you to try and figure out why she's on a killing spree.

This movie is not for everyone since it contains children being abused and killed as well as a graphic rape scene. Girl on girl rape scene that is. Not so hot as it may sound though since well...you'll find out for yourself. Haha.
I enjoyed it for what it was. It wasn't too over the top for my taste, yet it didn't lack what i was looking for. Basically i got what i wanted out of the movie.

So 4 stars it is!

1) the sound is bad, you barely hear her at times
ok - to those who didn't see the movie I will now be vague -
2) It needs a beginning.. to me there HAS to be some back-story about the bus and the guys in the car.. how did she know WHO to take? Just a 15 minute into or even a montage would have done it.
3)It needs 5 more minutes at the end.. it left me hanging I was like
"ok.. now what will she do.. hey it's the credits?"

But the movie itself is ok - I liked it. It wasn't as gory or sick as I thought it would be be, but she is cool as a "Sick" girl (and the end scene was pretty sick!)

Again I just wish they tied up the story better and the sound is bad, that's why I only give it 2 stars.

Oh.. and the mini-documentary is pretty cool! I actually liked her film about her "death-by" pictures more interesting than the movie itself :)

Jim

YOU'VE ALL READ BASICALLY WHAT THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT SO YOU DON'T NEED ME TO TELL YOU.FIRST TO THOSE WHO TOLD THE PLOT SHAME ON YOU SINCE THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER 'B' MOVIES OUT THERE. YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS MOVE NO FAST FOWARD CHEATING IT IS A GREAT CHARACTER STUDY IN INSANITY. ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE MOVIE YOU SEE AND FEEL IZZY'S CRAZINESS AND SHE IS SCARRY. NOT SOMEONE YOU WANT NEXT DOOR TO YOU. ALTHO SHE DELIVERS HER LINS IN A KIND OF MONOTONE FASHION (EXCEPT WHEN SHE IS ANGERED)SHE DOES A CONVINCING JOB OF I DON'T WANT HER NEAR ME TYPE ROLE. SICK GIRL IS THE PERFECT NAME FOR THIS FLICK AND I AM GLAD I OWN IT SO I CAN WATCH IT OVER AGAIN AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS WHO ENJOY THIS KIND OF MOVIE. IF YOU LIKE GORE THIS MOVE WILL SATISFY THAT NEED AFTER ALL US PEOPLE WHO WATCH THIS KIND OVER MOVIE (SLASHER)ALWAYS WANT GOOD BELIEVABLE GORE. GUYS YOU MAY GET A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WATCHING THE END BUT IT MAKES THE MOVIE PERFECT.

I'm love a good horror film and a well executed gross out moment. This film is horrible on every level and the ending justification for the violence that ensued is laughable. Synapse films, why waste your time on this garbage- because it is dirt cheap to acquire?

This movie was good for a low budget film. The girl definitely was a sicko......if you enjoy a lot of blood & gore then this one is for you but if not then avoid it. Have seen better but also much worse, did not regret purchasing this one.