Coming off the heels of 2022, an absolutely sensational year for horror cinema, 2023 has some pretty big bladed gloves to fill if it hopes to compare to some of the last year's biggest hits like Barbarian and Smile. That being said, the new year is already a promising start for the horror genre, particularly with Blumhouse and James Wan's M3GAN having already become a viral sensation. Looking forward, there are some other huge projects set to release early in 2023, including Knock at the Cabin, Scream VI, and Evil Dead Rise, just to name a few. There is also another horror project that's been flying under the radar yet has already garnered a positive response. That project is Sick, a cabin in the woods slasher film with a twist co-written by Scream (1996) writer Kevin Williamson (with Katelyn Crabb) and directed by John Hyams (Alone).
The latest feature from Blumhouse centers on two friends, Parker (Gideon Adlan) and Miri (Bethlehem Million), as they take a quiet trip to Parker's family lakeside cabin, only to discover that they're being stalked by a masked killer. A pretty standard premise for most horror films, but the twist is that Sick is set in April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Parker and Miri are going to the cabin as a way to quarantine. Thus, horror, mystery, and a splash of comedic satire ensue.
Most probably haven't even heard of Sick as marketing has only just begun, but believe it or not, the new film has already made its premiere at last year's Toronto International Film Festival. Early reviews for Sick following its premiere at TIFF have generally been quite positive. Not only that, but the new horror satire is arriving on screens much sooner than you might think. To find out how soon, here is exactly how to watch Sick when it premieres. But first, here's the synopsis for the film:
As the pandemic steadily brings the world to a halt, Parker and her best friend Miri decide to quarantine at the family lake house alone—or so they think.
Related:'Sick': Kevin Williamson’s Advice for Actors Jumping into Their First Slasher Movie
Is Sick Releasing on Streaming or in Theaters?
Those who were lucky enough to see Sick during its festival run are some of the only people who will get to see the film on a big theater screen. That's because Sick will be making its wide debut on Peacock, which makes sense given Blumhouse's affiliation with Universal Pictures. This marks the second Blumhouse film to be released as a Peacock original, following last year's conversion camp slasher They/Them (2022). Sick will be arriving on Peacock in less than a week, dropping on the streamer on Friday, January 13, 2023.
Although Peacock does have a free membership option available, Peacock originals like Sick require a paid subscription. Currently, Peacock offers two alternate subscription plans: Premium and Premium+. Premium costs $4.99 USD per month and features the entire Peacock catalog as well as live-streaming for sports and events with limited ads. Premium+ doubles the price at $9.99 USD per month, with benefits including the removal of most ads from the service and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
Watch the Trailer for Sick
The first trailer for Sick quickly introduces the two best friends of Parker and Miri, who, despite being very close, have conflicting attitudes to the current global pandemic. Parker doesn't seem too keen on wearing her mask and just wants to look for a reason to party with her friend without the intervention of their parents. Miri on the other hand seems much more cognizant of the dangers the pandemic presents, almost never taking off her mask and immediately disinfecting the lavish cabin the moment they arrive. Things get complicated for the duo when DJ (Dylan Sprayberry), a boy with whom Parker seemingly has an on-and-off relationship, arrives at the cabin to spend time with the girls. That might serve as a way to create some teenage drama, but when a masked and hooded intruder begins to torment the teens, things take an immediate turn for the worst. Though there will certainly be blood and kills a plenty, you can also expect a decent amount of pandemic-related humor, with Parker trying to escape with a passerby who won't let a bleeding and in-danger teenager into her car without a mask.
More Satirical Slashers From Blumhouse That You Can Watch Right Now
Happy Death Day(2017): Ever wonder what would happen if Groundhog Day (1993) had a mysterious serial killer? Well, wonder no more as Happy Death Day answers that question without removing the humor. Centering on party animal college student Tree (Jessica Roth), the college student finds herself getting murdered by a baby-faced killer and repeats the same day over and over again, now needing a way to escape this loop and defeat her tormentor once and for all. Happy Death Day is available to stream on FuboTV and FX Now.
Freaky(2020): Similar to Happy Death Day, this film also puts a horror twist on a comedy classic. Freaky is what would happen if Freaky Friday (2003) had a serial killer involved. Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) stars as Millie, who has a run-in with the infamous Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). After getting stabbed by a mystical knife, Millie and the Butcher swap bodies and now find themselves totally upending each other's lives. Freaky is available to stream for free on Freevee.
M3GAN (2022): The latest from Blumhouse, M3GAN is already certified fresh at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, and for good reason. Get Out (2017) star Allison Williams plays Gemma, a robotics engineer who thinks she's created the ultimate children's companion with M3GAN (Jenna Davis). As you might expect from creepy robotic dolls in horror films, it doesn't take long for M3GAN to break from her programming and go on a hysterical murder spree. M3GAN is currently available to watch only in theaters and you can check for showtimes and tickets at a theater near your with the following link:
