Benny Loves You

Last updated
Benny Loves You
Benny Loves You.jpeg
Official release poster
Directed byKarl Holt
Written byKarl Holt
Produced byKarl Holt
Starring
  • Claire Cartwright
  • Karl Holt
  • George Collie
  • James Parsons
  • David Wayman
  • Lydia Hourihan
Cinematography
  • John Bowe
  • Karl Holt
Edited byKarl Holt
Music byKarl Holt
Production
company
Darkline Entertainment
Distributed by Epic Pictures
Release dates
  • November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21)(Bars)
  • May 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)(United States)
  • February 19, 2021 (2021-02-19)(United Kingdom)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Benny Loves You is a 2019 British horror comedy film directed, written, and produced by Karl Holt. [1] It stars Claire Cartwright, George Collie, James Parsons, David Wayman, Lydia Hourihan and Holt himself. The film premiered at the Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre on November 21, 2019.

Contents

Plot

Ashley, a spoiled brat, gets a new present and discards her old teddy bear. That night, the teddy bear pulls her into a closet and rips her eyes out, Ashley's Mother Discovers Ashley's corpse and screams in horror at the sight.

Jack, a failed toy designer, constantly depends on his parents, until they are killed in a freak accident on his 35th birthday. Ten months later, Jack is struggling financially from living on his own without support and dealing with maintenance and mortgage, while getting convinced by a man named David to sell his house. Jack also sees his colleague, Richard, as competition, as he won the designer of the year award. Due to the failures of his toy designs, Jack is subsequently fired by his boss, Ron, and rehired for a lower waged position, instead of being promoted.

Jack decides to become an adult and sell his house, packs his toys, and to Jack's sadness, throws away a stuffed bunny named Benny, his favorite childhood toy. However, Benny destroys all of Jack's plush toys, which prompts him to call two police officers over for an investigation. However, they just insult Jack and eat his biscuits. At work, Jack meets Dawn, a tech consultant, and begins a relationship.

At home, Jack finds David's head on the bed beside him, and the next morning, his body slumped on a chair, and his blood is all over the house. He immediately cleans up his house and narrowly avoids getting caught when the police officers come by to get something they left in his house the day before. After Benny shreds a cat with a lawnmower, Jack makes Benny promise that he will stay here as long as he does not murder anyone else.

Jack is inspired by Benny to create several toy designs, which impresses Ron and his relationship grows closer with Dawn. A realtor shows Jack's house, which is on sale, to a woman named Tara, but Benny impales the realtor with a wooden sign and forces Tara to hide for a long period of time in Jack's attic. Jack comes home and is shocked at Benny again, so he keeps him in a box for his date night with Dawn.

Benny frees himself as Ron drops off Precious, his dog, which Benny kills by hacking it in the back with a hatchet. Dawn shares a tragic backstory of when her father tripped over her favorite doll, Amy, and broke his neck. Jack decides to fake Precious' death by stabbing him and throwing him out the window and onto Ron's car, to allegedly protect Dawn from him.

Ron fires Jack, but Benny does not realize that Jack is upset, and even tries to play with the very stressed-out Jack. Benny kidnaps Ron, and Jack sees this as an opportunity to get his job back, but Benny throws a garden tool into Ron's throat before he is rehired. Jack buries Benny in the woods and spends time with Dawn while they clean up Ron's murder. Benny hitches a ride on Dawn's car, where Jack tries to claim that Benny is dangerous, just to be mocked and laughed at by his colleagues. Benny stabs Richard in the hand, and Jack, Dawn, and Richard escape the room, locking Benny inside, who subsequently massacres the remaining workers.

Jack, Dawn, and Richard go back to Jack's house to formulate a plan against Benny, even though Richard is pessimistic. Benny gears up with weapons, while at the same time, the trio booby traps the house. Benny makes his way into Jack's house through his toilet. Dawn is surprised by Benny with her childhood doll, Amy. Richard gets stabbed and has his organs sucked out by his toy Rosco, which earlier, he discarded. Jack and Dawn continue fighting with Benny and Amy, respectively, which ends in Amy being stabbed and Benny leaping out of the window and being shot to death by the same police officers from earlier.

Two months later, Jack and Dawn are starting a new life, with the two police officers covering for them about Benny, Rosco and Ashley's teddy bear are seen hiding out in an alleyway as the bear exclaims "You're Special". In a post-credits scene, Tara is seen dead in the attic, having hidden there for a long time and having succumbed to starvation/dehydration.

Cast

Production

Filming began in 2014 and was completed in 2015. The main reason for the gap between filming and release was due to the fact that Holt edited, scored and did the visual effects.[ citation needed ]

Release

The film premiered at the Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre on November 21, 2019, New York City Horror Film Festival on December 8, 2019, [2] Sitges Film Festival on October 8, 2020, Trieste Science+Fiction Festival on November 1, 2020 [3] and Panic Film Fest in Kansas City on April 9 to April 15, 2021. [4]

Benny Loves You was released in the UK on February 19, 2021, and was scheduled to premiere in the United States in selected theaters on May 7 before becoming available on demand on May 11, 2021. The film's Blu-ray release was on June 8, 2021. [5]

Benny Loves You was selected at the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea, held in July 2021. It was showcased in the World Fantastic Red section of the festival. [6]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 79% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's consensus reads, "A zany entry into the sentient murder toy genre, Benny Loves You is an enjoyably macabre and clever horror comedy that will have audiences rooting for its loveable villain." [7]

Anton Bitel of Sight and Sound wrote:

In this comic killer-doll film, our hero struggles to put away childish things, even as we are left wondering whether it might be Jack's own arrested psyche, rather than a stuffed animal, that is the real deadly danger. [8]

Accolades

Award ceremonyCategoryRecipientResultRef.
Bilbao Fantasy Film FestivalBest Feature FilmBenny Loves You - Karl HoltNominated
Most Innovative DirectionKarl HoltNominated
San Sebastián Horror and Fantasy Film FestivalBest FilmBenny Loves You - Karl HoltWon
Macabro: International Horror Film Festival of Mexico CityBest International Feature Length HorrorBenny Loves You - Karl HoltWon
RazorreelBest FilmBenny Loves YouNominated
Sitges Film Festival Best FilmBenny Loves YouNominated
FrightFest Best FilmBenny Loves You - Karl HoltWon

Related Research Articles

<i>The Manson Family</i> (film) 1997 American horror film directed by Jim Van Bebber

The Manson Family is a 1997 American true crime exploitation horror film directed by Jim Van Bebber. The film covers the lives of Charles Manson and his family of followers.

<i>May</i> (film) 2002 film by Lucky McKee

May is a 2002 American psychological horror film written and directed by Lucky McKee in his directorial debut. Starring Angela Bettis, Jeremy Sisto, Anna Faris, and James Duval, the film follows a lonely young woman (Bettis) traumatized by a difficult childhood, and her increasingly desperate attempts to connect with the people around her.

<i>Demonic Toys</i> 1992 American film

Demonic Toys is a 1992 American direct-to-video horror comedy film produced by Charles Band's Full Moon Entertainment and directed by Peter Manoogian. The film centers on a police officer who is terrorized by the title characters after a botched arrest. Like many other Full Moon releases, Demonic Toys never had a theatrical release and went straight-to-video in 1992. In the United States, the film was given an "R" rating for violence, language, and brief nudity. The franchise was created by Charles Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival</span> Horror films festival in South Korea

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, or BiFan, formerly known as Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Inaugurated in 1997, the festival focuses on South Korean and international horror, thriller, mystery and fantasy films, with particular attention to Asian cinema from East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is a non-competitive international film festival, with partial competition, awarding a number of awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Na Hong-jin</span> South Korean film director and screenwriter

Na Hong-jin is a South Korean film director, producer and screenwriter.

<i>Good Luck Charlie, Its Christmas!</i> American TV series or program

Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! is a 2011 American Christmas road comedy television film directed by Arlene Sanford and written by Geoff Rodkey, based on the Disney Channel Original Series Good Luck Charlie by Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen. The Disney Channel Original Movie stars Bridgit Mendler, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Bradley Steven Perry, Mia Talerico, Eric Allan Kramer, and Jason Dolley as the Duncan family. It follows the Duncan family as they prepare for their Christmas trip to Amy Duncan's parents' house in Palm Springs, California. Things goes awry however when Teddy and Amy find themselves separated from their family after Teddy gives up her seat in exchange for a free plane ticket. With only a few days left until Christmas, the duo will have to face numerous obstacles as they embark on a hitchhiking journey across Utah and Nevada to get to California so they can reunite with their family in time for the holidays.

<i>Hi5teria</i> 2012 Indonesian film

Hi5teria is a 2012 omnibus Indonesian horror-thriller film by Starvision Plus & UPI Productions. The film was directed by Adrianto Dewo, Chairun Nissa, Billy Christian, Nicholas Yudifar and Harvan Agustriansyah; and also was screenplay by Daud Sumolang, Chairun Nissa, Billy Christian, Sungkono Pastra and Harvan Agustriansyah. This film have 5 plot stories and was released on March 29, 2012.

Folklore is a television horror anthology series that premiered on HBO Asia on October 7, 2018. On December 1, 2020, it was renewed for a second season.

<i>Bloody Hell</i> (2020 film) 2020 Australian film

Bloody Hell is a 2020 Australian horror comedy film directed by Alister Grierson and written by Robert Benjamin. It tells the story of a man with a mysterious past who flees from his homeland to escape his own personal hell - to unknowingly experience something even more sinister and hellish. The film stars Ben O'Toole, Caroline Craig and Matthew Sunderland.

<i>The Medium</i> (2021 film) 2021 Thai–South Korean supernatural folk horror film

The Medium is a 2021 Thai-South Korean mockumentary supernatural folk horror film co-written and produced by Na Hong-jin and directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun. It is a co-production of Thailand's GDH 559 and South Korea's Showbox. The film premiered at the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival on 11 July 2021. It was theatrically released in South Korea on 14 July 2021. It was selected as the Thai entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards but was not nominated.

<i>Men</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Alex Garland

Men is a 2022 British folk horror film written and directed by Alex Garland. It stars Jessie Buckley as a widowed woman who travels on holiday to a countryside village but becomes disturbed and tormented by the strange men in the village, all portrayed by Rory Kinnear. The film was released in the United States on 20 May 2022 by A24 and in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2022 by Entertainment Film Distributors. It received generally positive reviews, though its narrative approach received some criticism.

<i>Chathur Mukham</i> 2021 film directed by R. K. Sankar and Salil V.

Chathur Mukham is a 2021 Indian techno-horror thriller film directed by Ranjeet Kamala Sankar and Salil V for the screenplay written by Abhayakumar K and Anil Kurian. The film stars Sunny Wayne, Alencier Ley Lopez, Manju Warrier, Niranjana Anoop, Babu Annur, Shyamaprasad and Rony David in lead roles. Manoj has edited the film while Abinandhan Ramanujam handled the cinematography. Dawn Vincent composed the original songs and background score. The film is jointly produced by Jiss Toms and Justin Thomas under Jiss Toms Movies and Manju Warrier Productions. In the film, Thejaswini, a young woman, buys a cheap smartphone after she loses her old one in an accident. Soon, she is terrorised by a malevolent supernatural entity through the phone, which threatens her safety and those of others, making her seek help.

<i>Caveat</i> (film) 2020 Irish horror film

Caveat is a 2020 Irish horror film written, directed and edited by Damian Mc Carthy in his feature directorial debut. It stars Johnny French as Isaac, a drifter suffering from partial memory loss who accepts a job to look after a psychologically disturbed woman in a house on a secluded island. The film premiered at the IndieCork Film Festival in Ireland on 4 October 2020.

<i>Apps</i> (film) 2021 anthology horror fantasy film

Apps is a 2021 anthology horror fantasy film directed by Lucio A. Rojas, Sandra Arriagada, José Miguel Zúñiga, Camilo León and Samot Márquez. An international co-production of Chile and Argentina, the film consists of five short stories, each of which involves a mobile app.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival</span> Film festival in Bucheon South Korea

The 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, an international film festival held in Bucheon, South Korea, took place from 8 to 18 July 2021, it featured 257 films from 47 countries. The film festival due to the impact of the COVID-19 is held in a 'hybrid' format at 5 different locations including Oul Madang and CGV Picnic from 8 to the 18 July.

<i>Show Me the Ghost</i> 2021 South Korean comedy horror film

Show Me the Ghost (Korean: 쇼미더고스트) is a 2021 South Korean comedy horror film, written and directed by Kim Eun-kyoung and starring Han Seung-yeon, Kim Hyun-mok and Hong Seung-bum. The film depicts the story of two job seeking best friends Ho-du and Yeji, whose dreams and hopes have been ruined. It was premiered at 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival on July 10 and was theatrically released on September 9, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coralie Fargeat</span> French director and screenwriter

Coralie Fargeat is a French film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 2017 debut feature film Revenge, for which she received awards from independent film festivals across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Suk-hyeong</span> South Korean actor

Lee Suk-hyeong is a South Korean actor. After making his debut with an indie film Today's Movie in 2014, he made a big impression on the minds of the audience through the indie films Jane of Dreams (2017) and Heart (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival</span> Film festival in Bucheon South Korea

The 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, an international film festival held in Bucheon, South Korea, began on 7 July 2022 with the slogan 'Stay Strange'. A non-competitive international film festival with a competitive section, opened with film Men by Alex Garland. This year the festival resumed its offline events after two years, which were curtailed due to COVID-19.

References

  1. "Popcorn Frights Announces WICKED WEEKEND Virtual Event for Halloween Weekend". 20 October 2020. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. "Benny Loves You (NYC Horror Festival)". Archived from the original on 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  3. "Benny Loves You (Sitges Film Festival)". sitgesfilmfestival.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  4. "Benny Loves You (Panic Film Fest)" . Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  5. "Exclusive: Watch the Trailer for 'Benny Loves You,' a Horror Movie About a Murderous Childhood Toy". Collider . 14 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  6. "Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2021". Bifan.kr. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  7. "Benny Loves You". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 2024-05-15. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. "Horror islands: seven British domestic shockers (and an American special case) at Halloween FrightFest 2020". Sight & Sound . Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2021.