Peacock keeps the horror hits coming: along with being the exclusive host for a variety of horror films, from the recently released Halloween Ends to cheesy messes like Blood Hook, the streaming service has dipped its toe in the water of horror originals. Starting with They/Them, the service has made a promising, if not rocky, start to distributing fresh takes on the horror genre, something which will no doubt continue with their next big original, Sick.
Set in the age of social distancing and virus awareness, Sick differentiates itself from the rest of the slasher subgenre by taking place in April 2020 with all strings attached. Face masks and quarantines play a significant role in the setting of the film, the motivations of its characters, and several key moments throughout, firmly embedding itself as a period piece during one of the most life-changing and trauma-inducing periods in recent memory. Will that equate to success for Sick and, subsequently, Peacock? We'll have to wait and see.
Until Sick releases on January 13, all we can do is break down the complementary trailer for a taste of what's to come. Just be sure to stay at least six feet away.
Sick Is a COVID-Era Slasher
Before the trailer starts properly, we get a brief glimpse at what's to come: a sunny day on an isolated lake is quickly upended as night falls, and a figure shrouded in darkness pursues a fleeing trio. A flash of a knife, a panicked face, and a ramp-up of intense music punctuate the film's title card.
But before everything hits the fan, we see a pair of women. They're Parker (Gideon Adlon) and Miri (Bethlehem Million), both excitedly packing for a springtime trip. A quick reference to quarantines and remembering to bring a mask precedes the realization that this film will be firmly taking place in April 2020, with the onset of the pandemic still fresh in the collective consciousness. As the two arrive at their destination, a luxurious, leviathan cabin in the middle of the woods, they enjoy a fun day of winding down. Frozen pizzas, disinfecting spray, and a quick swim start what's sure to be a relaxing time away from the troubles of the world.
The first night arrives; an unexpected visitor makes their first appearance. Fortunately, it's what appears to be an old friend. DJ (Dylan Sprayberry) stops by to join the duo, questioning their intentions of quarantining alone. The trio makes the most of their time together by partying, as DJ presumably goes outside to grab something from his car. In leaving the cabin door open, however, a stiff, shadowy figure wanders inside.
Sick Looks Intense
Miri and Parker are sunbathing on the pier when the latter receives a mysterious text message: "Jump In. Water's fine." The two shrug the text off as a creepy message before we cut to a sleeping Parker. The camera slowly turns away from her towards a door in the background, wherein the same shadowy figure from before shows up once more. When we cut to Miri, we think the same will happen, as the figure's presence is noticed through the creaking floor. As Miri wakes up from the noise, however, the killer quickly sprints into the frame, plunging a blade deep into the mattress, narrowly avoiding Miri.
Things intensify further when the three occupants of the cabin are chased outside. Miri finds her way onto the roof before a window shatters behind her. The killer opts to give her an express way down as he shoves her off, falling more than two stories onto the grass below. In the meantime, Parker crawls on all fours across a wooden floor, just before a knife smashes through and nearly takes her head off. It's an easy jump scare, but it works well enough.
An action montage follows, giving us some key scenes to look forward to, like Parker and Miri hiding in the kitchen of the cabin before being discovered, a plastic bag is tightly secured around Parker's head, and Parker makes a dynamic escape to a nearby road.
Sick Has Dark Humor
What follows is an oddly out-of-place scene in the context of the rest of the trailer. Parker flags down an approaching vehicle, hoping to find some kind of salvation there. The driver inside, despite noticing the frantic pounding against the passenger window and the disheveled appearance of Parker, fumbles around the car's console for a mask.
Parker frantically pleads with the now-masked woman as the killer starts to catch up with her. Unfortunately, since Parker doesn't have a mask, the woman refuses to let her into the vehicle. It's a funny moment, but it reflects the genuine fear most people had towards the virus when it started to propagate in the United States. This scene concludes the trailer, finishing up with a crimson title card.
Sick's trailer looks to be a tense slasher that takes advantage of its unique setting in multiple ways, with Parker's mask-less confrontation being a hilarious highlight. If the full film retains even a fraction of the effort put into its accompanying trailer, we can expect a pretty solid horror outing for mid-January.