Killer toys pop up frequently enough in horror movies that they could theoretically be a subgenre of their own. The premise of making a toy, something seemingly wholesome and marketed towards a very vulnerable demographic, a tool of evil is scary enough to warrant a bunch of movies. Child’s Play, Dead Silence, and the vast majority of Full Moon Productions have covered the gambit of making every type of doll malicious in some freaky way. But what if a doll didn’t kill out of spite or hate or wanting a human soul…what if they were just too loving?
Benny Loves You, the first feature by Karl Holt (who wrote, directed, and starred in the film) dares to ask “what if your toy was obsessed with you?” It follows man-child Jack as he tries to reset his life after his parents’ accidental deaths and a failed promotion as a toy designer; unfortunately this also means ridding himself of all his childish possessions including his favorite stuffed toy Benny. Benny didn’t sign up for this, and returns to kill anyone he thinks is getting a little too close to Jack. It’s a little Shaun of the Dead, a little Demonic Toys, and a lot of Benny’s Elmo-ish voice.
As far as plot and characters go, Benny Loves You is fairly by the numbers. Jack is a borderline clueless yet still lovable protagonist, his love interest Dawn (Claire Cartwright) lacks in personality but makes up for it with general badassery, and his rival coworker Richard (George Collie) and boss Ron (James Parsons) are both unwaveringly antagonistic and get their bloody comeuppance as a result. Very bare bones, but fleshed out enough to serve their narrative purpose. Although the plot beats are fairly predictable – a major turnaround in Jack’s life with Benny’s return followed by a fall after Benny begins making his presence known to others to set up a final epic battle – but they’re supplemented with solid gags. Alongside the very dry humor that’s very reminiscent of something in the Cornetto trilogy, the good cop (Darren Benedict)/ bad cop (Anthony Styles) running joke keeps the comedic tone of the film alive.
The two showstoppers of the film are Benny himself and the gore he produces. Benny’s little catchphrases and creepily endearing design makes him instantly on par with Chucky as icons of killer toys. The way he skips around like a deranged little rabbit with his tiny little knife is simultaneously terrifying and weirdly endearing. His highlight is a little montage dressing up for Jack’s “Skare Dolls” prototype line (full of horror icon homages) which showcases the range that this little orange guy provides. The carnage resulting from Benny’s jealousy is also pretty impressive. Despite the film’s whole aesthetic being very DIY low budget, the practical effects are still jarring enough to remind the audience that, yes, this is a horror movie. Each kill carries its own unique charm, be it a set up for some dark jokes or the punchline to one – hell this movie has the audacity to kill a kid on screen. The intrigue of what Benny will manage to do next is enough to keep the audience intrigued and entertained.
Benny Loves You dares to ask “what if Toy Story 3 was a little evil?” and provides an entertaining answer. While it’s nothing super innovative, Benny Loves You is a fun, breezy horror comedy that’s light in tone and heavy on gore. While the plot and characters are a bit bland, but it’s definitely a fun time – unless, like me, you had a childhood fear of your stuffed animals coming alive and killing you, in that case you’ll feel incredibly vindicated.
