Ick (2024) review – A cringe-inducing trip to the 2000s

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing a science fiction comedy horror in the form of Ick (2024).

An Invasion of Nostalgia

Ick follows once promising high school quarterback turned science teacher, Hank (Brandon Routh). After Hank reconnects with an old high school flame, he becomes convinced that one of his students is actually his daughter. His sudden paternal feelings are turned up to 11 when the town finds itself in the midst of an alien invasion. Pushing Hank into the role of protective dad.

Ick plays out, at least initially, like a high school teen comedy. We are introduced to Hank and we learn that he is your standard popular teen Chad. He’s quarterback of the high school team, he owns a Toyota Celica GTS (Very cool at the time. Well, it looked fast, at least), and he is dating a cheerleader.

A horrible accident ends his career prematurely and so he is forced to adapt to everyday life. As the flashback to the 2000s stuff evaporates, the movie transforms into more of a basic sci-fi horror.

That’s where the problems start. This is a movie that is completely unwilling to give up its nostalgic bent. It really leans into it in the first 10 minutes. It’s all pop-punk songs, dodgy hairstyles, and general mid-2000s cringe. In a small dose, this wouldn’t be too bad. But this same type of stuff is shoehorned in throughout the entire rest of the movie.

A Warped Tour mixtape doesn’t make a movie

It’s like the filmmakers purchased the rights to an entire pop-punk and alternative rock compilation album from the 2000s and challenged themselves to use each and every song. A popular piece of music from that era plays about every 40 seconds and it gets old fast.

“It’s like the filmmakers purchased the rights to an entire pop-punk and alternative rock compilation album from the 2000s and challenged themselves to use each and every song.”

The phrase “extremely try-hard” comes to mind. Much like the equally lacklustre three letter bore – Y2K. Ick tries to appeal to the rather bizarre wave of nostalgic longing that is so damn popular at the moment.

It would be somewhat tolerable if the movie was good but it simply isn’t. In fact, I am not sure whether Ick works on a single level. The comedy element feels pretty outdated with many of the jokes being super predictable and just not that funny. The drama stuff and the “is she my daughter” side-plot are pretty tacked on. And the characters populating the town are completely underdeveloped and surface deep.

Even our protagonist is the victim of poor writing. I mean, he may have missed out on the life he dreamed of but that’s true for most high school athletes. He’s a successful teacher helping to mould the next generation. That’s pretty successful if you ask me. I certainly don’t think he would still be driving around in the same clapped out Celica that he can’t afford to maintain decades later.

Borrowed scares and fleeting fun

Needless to say, it’s a plot that’s been done to death so it is really up to the sci-fi horror stuff to save the movie. Unfortunately, that’s just another piece of derivative writing and really doesn’t add all that much. The concept is quite original, if you have never seen movies like Slither or Splinter, that is.. Visual effects are pretty terrible for a film with a decent budget and there are no scares to speak of, either.

“There’s a lot of low contrast scenes punctuated by oversaturated colours and poppy neon lighting that makes the movie feel like something designed for short term visual appeal.”

Action scenes are occasionally decent, if not a little on the formulaic side. That’s probably the point where the movie shines the most. When Ick is mixing comedy with chase scenes, it is fairly enjoyable. There’s an almost Gremlins like sense of adventure and chaos about the film at times which can be a lot of fun. The only problem is, the story is all too keen to get in the way. Pivoting the intense action back to familial drama and unnecessary teen comedy.

There’s something about the way director Joseph Kahn filmed this movie that just didn’t vibe with me, as well. I wasn’t at all shocked to learn that he is a music video director, and a very successful one at that. It almost feels like he has tried to incorporate a lot of what works in said music videos into his shot choices.

There’s a lot of low contrast scenes punctuated by oversaturated colours and poppy neon lighting that makes the movie feel like something designed for short term visual appeal. Almost like it is guiding your focus through attention grabbing objects rather than through careful camera work. That speaks to the bigger picture here and why I didn’t feel like this film worked for me.

An unwanted trip down memory lane

Ick is, very much, a movie made for younger members of Gen Z. It’s almost as if it is designed to keep people with minimal attention focused on it. Like using a laser toy to play with a cat. Kahn shines pink, purple, and blue lights at the viewer, blurts out cheesy scene music every 40 seconds, and generally makes a whole lot of noise to keep people engaged. With that being said, younger people may really enjoy this film.

As a millennial that grew up through the time period this movie is obsessed with. A lot of what works for fans of faux nostalgia doesn’t work for me. It simply reminds you of how annoying it all was back then. My toes curled the second I heard “Teenage Dirtbag”. They nearly snapped when I realised that Mena Suvari was probably cast purely because she was in the music video for that song back in 2000.

Acting is, quite honestly, a mix of awful and okay. Malina Weissman turned in one of the most lacklustre performances I have seen in a horror movie in quite awhile. I hate to be so blunt but she was wooden throughout. She wasn’t exactly supported by a strong script however, from some writers that have apparently never met an actual teenage girl before.

“It feels like Marge Simpson trying to relate to Bart by krumping… Extremely try-hard, very out of touch, and just a little bit cringe-inducing.”

Brandon Routh was okay and decently likable; he just lacks something that I can’t put my finger on. Movies like this are always a good reminder of why such a great looking, obvious leading man ended up confined to Christmas movies and limited Super Hero stuff. Everyone else ranges from fine to meh.

You might also like:

• Sick (2022) Review – A Traditional and Tense Covid-Era Slasher
• A Teen’s Terrifying 31 Days of Halloween – A Teen’s October Horror Movie a Day Countdown
• Pyewacket (2017) Review – A Slow-Burn Study of Grief and Occult Horror
• Loop Track (2023) Review – A Paranoid and Pacy Kiwi Forest Thriller
• Followers (2021) Review – A Cringey and Uninspired Influencer Slog

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.