Scared Sh**less

Called out to what is routine blocked toilet in an apartment block, plumber Don (Steven Ogg) has decided that it is the perfect opportunity to take his son Sonny (Daniel Doheny) with him. Both as an apprentice and that the nature of the job could somehow help deal with his crippling germaphobia as well as other ailments.

As chance would have it, the job is a blocked toilet that an ordinary plunger can’t deal with. This forces Sonny to use his hands albeit with gloves that his father guarantees will keep him germ and free.

What they aren’t ready for, nor would they expect to be is that a stolen genetically engineered, killing creature is loose in the apartment’s pipework having been stolen by a resident who lost control of it.

Aside from a little romance Scared Sh**less is a blood-soaked creature feature that isn’t afraid to go low. So there’s an attack on someone while on the toilet, a shower scene and various acts of grotesque violence and gallons of blood.
And it’s all done with a great deal of humour with an excellent script from Brandon Cohen, which director Vivieno Caldinelli has taken to both gross out as well as give the characters some depth.

That mainly plays between Don and Sonny as they sort matters out after the death of their wife/mother. Character wise Don non-existent social skills are funny while Sonny is forced to confront his fears.

As with many of these types of films the plot isn’t that interesting. But what there is sews together some very funny scenes such as BDSM elderly couple and side-story about the apartment’s finances.

Much of this is a puerile, low-budget creature feature but what may work to its advantage if toilet humour isn’t to your taste are the characters and acting. They are genuinely likeable people and while played for laughs there’s no hamming it up, its generally played pretty straight.

Scared Sh**less had its international premiere at London Pigeon Shrine FrightFest, 26 August 2024.