Plot: Michael (Bryan Madorsky) has just moved to a new town, which means a new school and new friends. The new locale seems so serene, a suburban wonderland where things seem to be bright and efficient. But some things remain the same, mainly his parents Nick (Randy Quaid) and Lily (Mary Beth Hurt), who seem like ideal citizens, though Michael has his doubts. Michael watches his parents with a suspicious eye, even asking detailed questions about what they’re up to. His parents just brush him off, but when he pushes too hard, Nick reminds him of his place as the child. At school, Michael is drawn to an energetic classmate and draws attention from the adults, for his dark artwork and strange statements. A social worker tries to help Michael, but given his distrust of his own parents, he is hesitant to put faith in any adult. He soon becomes fixated on the meat his family eats for dinner, asking all kinds of questions and poking around in forbidden places. Are his parents up to some devious activities or is Michael just letting his imagination run wild?

Entertainment Value: A dark comedy with some unsettling undertones, Parents is a quirky take on the picturesque world of the 50s. The cast is impressive, with Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt in prominent roles, plus the colorful Sandy Dennis in a smaller, but memorable role. Quaid is the stand out of the adults, with a real sense of menace and “brink of insanity” vibe, while child actor Bryan Madorsky is terrific as the paranoid kid. The scenes between father and son are frequent and work well, which is crucial to the narrative. As I said, this is a dark comedy above all else, so don’t expect pure horror here. There is a dense atmosphere of suspense and uncertainty, but that dark humor permeates most scenes. The sense of dread is excellent, especially since we are kept in the dark much like Michael is. The film is good with the teases of what might be, while keeping the possibilities open, which is a fine line. Those after more of a horror experience might be let down, but fans of dark comedies or Randy Quaid in quirky roles should be happy with this one.

No nakedness, so you’ll have to watch those weird Randy Quaid home movies if you want to see that stuff. A lot of close ups of meat, but not that much blood. Just a couple scenes feature the red stuff, but that makes sense. The movie focuses on tension and suspense over traditional horror, so rampant violence and bloodshed would have fractured that approach. I do love blood though, so I was glad to see a few nice moments of gore here. Not a lot of memorable dialogue, but we do get some 50s style parenting cliches and of course, Quaid’s darker father/son moments. The movie is much darker than you might think, but never feels over the edge. Quaid’s performance is the most insane element and while he is wacky here, its not enough to add much to the crazy score. Even so, the unsettling vibe Parents continually gives off does warrant one more point, I think.

Nudity: 0/10

Blood: 2/10

Dialogue: 1/10

Overall Insanity: 2/10

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