Benny Loves You (2021)
Written By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: Karl Holt
Producer: Karl Holt
Writer: Karl Holt
Date Released:
November 21, 2019 (BARS film festival)
February 15, 2021 (UK)
May 7, 2021 (USA)
Cast:
Karl Holt as Jack
Claire Cartwright as Dawn
George Collie as Richard
James Parsons as Ron
Anthony Styles as Bad Cop
Darren Benedict as Good Cop
Lydia Hourihan as Tara
David Wayman as Phil
Et. al.
Rating = 3/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
When Jack’s parents die in a freak occurrence on his 35th birthday, he is forced to sell his parents house. Reluctant to change, he has lived with his folks up to their death and has never changed his ways from his childhood. When he clears his room, he also removes his childhood teddy bear, Benny. But when Jack realizes that Benny is alive, all hell breaks loose.
Gore Factor
There is an ample amount of blood and gore in this film. Body parts and intestines is a staple in the film. Since the film is part comedy, the gore is used is a humorous yet dark context.
The Grave Review
The best way to describe this film is the muppets gone psycho. If Elmo had a psychotic brother, that would be Benny. A killer teddy bear is a funny concept in itself but the film becomes absolutely ridiculous when Benny starts to walk around wielding a kitchen knife. The film does not leave anything to the imagination in respect to blood and gore. In fact, the film is so insane that virtually every scene is full of blood and gore. On top of the heavy use of blood and gore, you have Benny himself who shows his own personality. The infamous lines of “weeeee” and “okie dokie” surprisingly give the killer teddy bear personality and spunk making for an entertaining and humorous film.
As to the plot, there were some loopholes that the viewer needed to accept. For example, the question of how the stuffed animals came alive is not made clear by the film. In the beginning of the film, it is alluded to that the stuffed animals came alive through a particular box. However, this theory is negated because Benny merely comes alive on his own. Although, without reading too much into it, this flaw is not fatal to the film. The performances of the actors and actresses were commendable but not impressionable in any way. It would have also been nice to see a little bit more of a character arch with Jack and his progression as he grows up leaving his past behind. Unfortunately, it is our opinion that there was little in that respect. Nevertheless, the focus of the film is of course, Benny, and his wacky and wild escapades. That alone, makes for a comedic film.
For the general viewer, you will either love this film or hate this film. The film actually does not start out funny and even a little sad. But as the film progresses, it starts to grow on you and soon turns into a puppet-driven blood bath. For those who like the corky films, this may be one for you.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Benny Loves You (2021) three graves out of five graves.
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