Review of Bad Milo! (2013) by Kristen P — 30 Apr 2014

"Bad Milo!" is like a grown-up, more disgusting version of 80's creature-features like "Gremlins," although the premise actually sounds grosser than what actually ends up on screen. The story feels oddly neutered in this regard-- never quite giving proper follow-through on each new story development, never really delivering any singularly memorable set pieces, and never fully exploring certain questions that might arise over the issue of a symbiotic demon baby living in a man's colon.

Regardless, it's surprising how much genuine emotion is wrung out of the premise. Ken Marino gives a great, desperately sweaty, anxiety-ridden performance that still carries weight and sincerity, and he plays well against the wonderfully designed and practically-realized Milo. The central metaphor becomes too heavy-handed in the end (especially a final monologue that literally explains everything), but I dig how the film takes conceptual body-horror and turns it on its head with a lighter touch (I can only imagine what Cronenberg would have done with this concept-- although I probably don't want to).

I'm torn over my feelings for the rest of the cast, as Peter Stormare and Patrick Warburton-- hilarious as they are-- are so blatantly wacky that I'm not sure if they really fulfill the proper functions of their characters to the extent required to keep the story grounded. Kumali Nanjiani, on the other hand, is hysterical in his sadly-brief but perfectly-modulated appearance, but Gillian Jacobs is totally wasted in a thankless wife/damsel role (made all the more apparent when considering what an incredibly gifted comic actress she is on "Community").

Still, there's a lot to like about "Bad Milo!" It's a noble effort from first-time director Jacob Vaughn (and again, serious kudos for cool practical effects).