REVIEW: ‘Benny Loves You’ is Exactly Why Horror & Comedy Belong Together

Horror and comedy are two sides of the same coin. They both tap into empathetic chords to make you have visceral reactions to images, lines, and the like. Benny Loves You is a horror-comedy that is exactly why two genres meld so perfectly. The film is produced, written, and directed by Karl Holt and also stars him as our lead Jack. Tapping into the toy horror stories of the 80s and 90s, Benny Loves You is focused on Jack, a toy designer who’s comfortable lifestyle comes to an end after the freak and accidental death of his parents force him to sell his family home. Set on improving his life

After the accidental death of his parents, Jack’s comfortable lifestyle comes to an end and he must sell his family home. Desperate to improve his life, Jack throws out his childhood belongings including his beloved stuffed bear Benny. But tossing out the childhood security plushie has disastrous consequences for Benny and anyone who he hates or even likes. Rather than be taken by the garbage man, Benny comes to life with a murderous appetite.

Benny Loves You is a hilariously simplistic movie. Benny is there to protect Jack from realtors trying to sell his house, bad bosses, and apparently any pet that crosses his path. The bloody hijinx that begins is one that is extremely absurd and somehow works? Like okay, sure anyone should be able to punt Benny and apparently his victims forget how door handles work, but it’s the ridiculousness of the film, the storytelling, and the visuals that just really works. It all feels effortlessly funny – using both physical gags like creative murders, mistaken moments, and copious amounts of blood with some stellar one-liners, Benny Loves You is a riot.

With all the campy aesthetic of Puppet Master and a whole bunch of hilariously inventive kills, Benny is adorable and murderous in a great way. Though, pet-owners, there are quite a few moment where Benny becomes the devil and turns his murderous sites to some cuddly friends.

That said, the best part of the film is Holt as Jack. His humor fluctuates between dark and dry to physical in a way that balances against hyper physically comedic moments. Additionally, his back and forth with every character is hilariously  timed. Especially, when Dawn (Claire Cartwright), Jack’s love interest with he own dolly horror story comes into play.

With Dawn, Benny Loves You shows that Benny is more the rule for a tossed toy rather than an anomaly, though we can assume Benny is the only one who has ridden on top of a care and taken a workplace cafeteria hostage.  Dawn is the swift kick that Jack needs to put Benny in his place and doesn’t put up with any of the mess that’s going on around her.

Overall, Benny Loves You is a solid horror comedy that shows just why the two genres work perfectly together. It’s fun, hilarious, and filled with b-horror gore that just works. Murderous toys and a whole bunch of love sets Benny Loves You up to be a great watch.

Benny Loves You is On Demand May 11, 2021.