- Starring
- Brandon Routh, Malina Pauli Weissman, Mena Suvari
- Writers
- Joseph Kahn, Dan Koontz, Samuel Laskey
- Director
- Joseph Kahn
- Rating
- n/a
- Running Time
- 92 minutes
- Release Date
- n/a
Overall Score
Rating Summary
This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.
When it comes to a film like Ick, it’s hard to put it in any one box. A genre movie through and through, this sci-fi horror satire is a simple throwback creature feature that shines through its execution. Not only is it a blast, it will surely resonate with audiences who spent much of their teenage years in the early 2000s. A time capsule of a more wholesome time, and the iconic music that came from it, they are merely the backdrop for a compelling ode to classic monster B-movies that knows what it is and doesn’t try to be anything more than that. A quick watch that will only cost audiences 92-minutes, it is a breeze that genre movie fans will enjoy. Perhaps a bit on the predictable side, there is a sense of nostalgia to it that is hard to ignore. And its commentary on modern society offers up a different take that is eerily resonant though maybe not the most subtle. Led by a charming turn from Brandon Routh, he shines as the much needed grounding presence for the insanity that surrounded him. It can be silly, it can be brutal, but it will leave a smile on audiences’ faces.
The story takes place in the small town of Eastbrook where a seemingly endless vine-like entity had taken over every part of the town. Now twenty years later and given the name ‘ick’, it had for the most part just become a part of the lives of its residents who have since grown unfazed and oblivious to it. The exception was former star quarterback of the high school football team turned science teacher Hank Wallace (Routh) and top student Grace (Weissman), who both grew suspicious of the ick. As their warnings consistently fell on deaf ears, it was clear that it was only a matter of time that something was going to happen. That being said, whether or not any crisis would ever be taken seriously was still a question. The parallels to a recent crisis faced by much of the world go without saying. As the situation became increasingly worse, the true power of the ick emerged, putting its grip on Eastbrook to the test. The reaction, or lack thereof, from the city was the satire itself as Hank and Grace were left to pick up the pieces as the town crumbled around them.
There’s more to the story but it essentially doesn’t matter. Where Ick is at its best is when it focuses on the relationship between Eastbrook and the ick. Having a close personal relationship with the ick going back to his glory days as a promising young quarterback whose career was cut short, Henry was the linchpin connecting the past and the present and how times have changed. This could be felt through some powerful needle drops that will hit even harder for millennial audiences. Ultimately, the best part of the film was Routh. The undisputed heart of the film, he was a flawed but calming presence who was figuring out as he went along. His charm and relatability is what made Henry work so well.
In the end, Ick is a wonderful millennial time capsule and a simple yet fun ode to classic monster B-movies anchored by the charm of Brandon Routh.
still courtesy of TIFF
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.