Horror Movie Review: Big Brood (2023)

A horror comedy based around familial drama and an alien invasion, Big Brood steps out of the indie shadow so many films of this ilk sit in, and proves to be a thoroughly entertaining flick. Director Matthew A. Peters and writer Dylan Patrick Morley work hard to make both the horror and comedy fit together and not have one dominate the other.

Sure, there are plenty of moments where neither quite hit, but as an overall package, Big Brood is pretty memorable. Something that lies at the feet of the characters, the writing for them, and the actors that portray them.

Adam (Lucas DeNies) and his girlfriend Allie (Veronica Rozler) are spending the 4th of July weekend at her parent’s country cabin. Adam is not overjoyed by this, seeing as her father Mitchell (Patrick Regan) has a really low opinion of him and would like nothing more then to never see him again. Which does make the idea of proposing to Allie there and getting permission from Mitchell, a difficult prospect for Adam, but she is worth it.

Unfortunately, they’re not the only guests staying this weekend. Allie’s stuck-up sister Jade (Gabrielle Nunzio) and her obnoxious fiancé Brent (Donovan Gale) are also around. As is cousin Ty (Joe Cappelli) who is an aspiring rapper and given very little respect by anyone else in the family.

It was always going to be a rough weekend, even before aliens arrive to body snatch and make this a July 4th like no other. Will Adam be able to defeat the Alien Queen (Hillary Schmatolla-Brooks) and save his future wife? Can Agent Owens (Stephanie Ward) stop the darkest day in American history? Will Adam finally be able to win the approval of Mitchell?

It’s a fun ride finding out, and even though it does have its flaws, Big Brood is an entertaining experience. By spending more time with the characters, seeing the family dynamic, working out the personalities of each member, and enjoying the awkwardness, when things do go really wrong, it actually feels like it matters. Everyone is likable, in their own way, even the more detestable characters because they are portrayed so well.

This is made even more fun when they’re ‘taken over’ by the aliens and have be more robotic and deadpan while trying to retain aspects of the host’s personality. These are often the scene stealers and the funniest moments in the film.

There’s a lot to be positive about, but there’s also plenty to criticise too. With the major one being the lack of on-screen violence and death. Something that inevitably hurts the horror aspect and puts too much onus on comedy to do the heavy-lifting, which it just isn’t aways capable of doing. Of course, while there are plenty of amusing moments, there are plenty that don’t land either and rarely does it make you laugh out loud.

A lot of this feels like nitpicking though, because overall, Big Brood is a fun film and is well worth a watch. Considering its indie tag, that’s pretty notable.