Review of Parents (2007) by Miyon R — 08 Jun 2011

Michael Laemle (Bryan Madorsky) and his parents (Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt) move to Massachusetts where they quickly set up the perfect suburban life. His father, Nick, secures a well paying job at Toxico and his mother, Lily, is the consummate housewife who spends most of her time in the kitchen. From the outside, they're living the American dream but something sinister lurks behind their doors - Michael's parents.

He's befriended by Sheila, his father's boss's daughter. He confides in her about his strict father but can never find the right words to voice his other fear about the source of the meat he avoids at every meal. He's equally as hesitant to open up to the school counselor (Sandy Dennis), a free-spirited social worker who's honed in on his perceptive yet odd nature. The stronger his curiosity grows, the worse his nightmares become. Where exactly is the mystery meat coming from?

Although billed as a dark comedy, I failed to see any humor in the story. This is a bleak, deranged, horrific cannibalism tale but also a playful satire on the facades put on by human monsters, ones that could very well be tucking you in at night. Don't let the visual horror distract you from the underlying message of Parents.

Randy Quaid aces his character with such perfection, you'll squirm with uneasiness every time he has a confrontation with Michael. Mary Beth Hurt is the polar opposite as the sweet, doting mother and she too nails it. Bryan Madorsky's performance as the intuitive and very aware Michael is thankfully subtle, as it should be. The set designs, the clothing and hair styles, and golden oldies like "Chantilly Lace" and "Purple People Eater" will have you believing you're in the 1950s with the characters. You'll either love or hate Angelo Badalamenti's orchestral score, as he has a distinctive eerie sound to his compositions.

The gore and violence are minimal and the scares are more of the lingering kind, like the lump in your throat that gets bigger and bigger and when the time comes to scream, you can't. Every horror fan should see this. It bombed at the box office back in 1989 (budget of $3 million with a measly $870,532 in gross profits) but it's gained a cult following with many of its most recent reviewers rating Parents at the highest level. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a masterpiece or brilliant horror but it's definitely one to watch.

Parents, do not ever, ever, ever let your child see this movie unless you want your little one scarred for life.