"Benny Loves You" plays like a dementedly silly idea in search of a better film

Benny Loves You (2021)

As the British horror-comedy “Benny Loves You” teaches, there comes a time in every adult’s life where we should put away childish things. Just maybe be prepared for those childish things to then go on a killing spree. The titular Benny is an Elmo-looking plush bear that’s prone to giggling, speaking a handful of catchphrases—like nearly every toy adults remember from their childhood—and doing anything to have his human owner all to himself. That is pretty much the idea behind “Benny Loves You,” which fills out its runtime but might have been better served as a fake trailer or an SNL digital short. This cross between “Child’s Play” and “Ted” would love to introduce a new villain in the genre, but a little of the adorably demented Benny goes a long way. 


Writer-director-cinematographer Karl Holt makes his feature directorial debut and also stars as Jack, an extremely comfortable 35-year-old man-child who still lives at home with his parents. Right before he can even celebrate his birthday, a double freak accident kills his Mum and Dad. This forces Jack to grow up quicker than he planned and throw away his best plush buddy (you know who). Demoted from his job as a creative director at a toy-design company, Jack must sell his childhood home. Benny isn’t easy to get rid of, though. If anyone threatens or—like cool, pretty co-worker Dawn (Claire Cartwright)—moves in on Jack, that one-and-a-half-foot terror gets a little knife-happy. (What does Dawn even see in Jack beyond him being the film’s protagonist, pray tell?) When Jack’s boss asks him to watch his dog for the night, guess who isn’t going to play nice.


“Benny Loves You” feels like such a labor of love that it’s tough to come down on it too hard. Technical specs are spotty, but the score sounds like a homage to Charles Bernstein’s theme in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Apart from the occasional jump scare, none of this is played for serious chills, and that is the right approach. Holt and his cast do play their roles with straight faces but are never above the gory silliness. If it seems like Holt has forgotten about a supporting character hiding in Jack’s attic, just wait for the morbid payoff after the end credits. However, it ultimately remains a fun premise in search of a better feature film. For the number of times Benny lets out a tee-hee, this might even make a decent drinking game. A few dastardly, low-budget charms make one like “Benny Loves You” in moments, but it’s still hard to love.


Grade: C


Dread released “Benny Loves You” (94 min.) in select theaters on May 7, 2021, followed by an on-demand release on May 11, 2021 and a Blu-ray release on June 8, 2021.

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