Night Visions: Scared Shitless

A good creature feature relies on its characters as much as it does its monsters. It doesn't matter what the horrors are if we don't care about those in peril. That's what separates Tremors from Dreamcatcher, for example. Both feature spinchter-tightening worms of some kind, yet only the former remains a classic.

In that vein, combining the tunneling malice of Tremors with the poop-jokes of Dreamcatcher, comes Scared Shitless, a micro-budget gross-out horror comedy from Canada that toes the line beautifully. It's at once scary, funny, and oddly charming, and rarely overstays its welcome. A rare treat in this subgenre.

Much of the praise goes to Steven Ogg as Don, the amiable and coarse plumber who leads his germaphobic son on a father and son outing at work. Daniel Doheny brings a jittery energy to counterbalance Ogg's stoic Mr. Miyagi of toilets -energy, and the two work wonderfully together. It's not every day you find yourself rooting for a touching father and son story in the midst of poop-monsters devouring tenants, but here we are.

There aren't many surprises in store for seasoned veterans of the genre, and that's OK. Scared Shitless takes what works and makes a meal of it. Some of the gags are duds – like an overlong bit involving two octogenarian's sex habits – while others display hugely effective talent reminiscent of 80s maestros like Joe Dante. One scene involving a shower and a livestream to horny internet dwellers is particularly fun, playing up tropes both past and present beautifully.

At a brisk 76 minutes, Scared Shitless ends just as it should. This isn't the kind of story that could sustain itself a minute longer. It's smart filmmaking from director Vivieno Caldinelli to wrap things up when he does, even if he can't help himself with a few more gags. Luckily, by that point he's earned enough good will to get away with it.

In the end, I was surprised by how much I cared about these characters. I went in thinking this would be another schlockfest with little actual meat to its bones. Instead, thanks to clever writing, a terrific cast, and a director keenly aware of the toys available to him, Scared Shitless is a fantastic little film that I wouldn't hesitate to use in the same sentence as Tremors or Critters.

It has the naughty energy of the 80s that I thought died out ages ago. Like a good fart gag, it comes and goes unexpectedly, and lingers just long enough to make a lasting impression.