The Big Picture
Killer toys are nothing new in the horror genre. From the simple clown in Poltergeist to the advanced robotics of M3GAN, horror has always given us a reason to fear these inanimate objects. It seems the audience can’t get enough of them with killer toys fronting the hugely successful Chucky franchise and The Conjuring spin-off series, Annabelle. There is something so terrifying about the childhood innocence associated with toys being contrasted with the brutality of horror. However, these huge box-office successes often focus on the mass assembly often seen in toy production and the constant consumption of new toys. 2019’s Benny Loves You takes a different track, instead looking at the intimacy between a childhood favorite toy and its owner. It replaces the cold replication of the toy industry with a charming, unique lead whose desire for destruction stems from the need to give back all the love he was given when Jack (Karl Holt) was a boy. This leads to an inexplicable urge to root for Benny, as well as empathize with Jack about his inability to let Benny go and accept his adulthood. Benny Loves You has been handled with care and the resulting feature is an endearing gem within the horror genre.
What Makes Toys Perfect for Horror?
There is a reason that killer toys have been successful in horror for decades. The combination of fantasy and reality — a physical object mixed with the imagination of children — allows for a suspension of disbelief. Therefore, killer toys can push the boundaries of possibility and have more freedom than other horror villains. However, what makes toys such a successful vessel for horror is their universality; they are such a common feature of childhood. The fear of a toy taking an evil turn forces the audience to look at their own possessions and wonder “what if”? This has led to an entire genre facilitating a fear of creepy dolls that also explores the potential dangers of increasingly high-tech toys. Often, the killer toy is a new, foreign object within the household, and the trope offers commentary on allowing something unfamiliar into a safe environment and the discomfort that can bring. However, Benny Loves You explores a new fear. Instead of a new toy entering the household, Benny is old and beloved. His vengeful turn is not about the unknown and the unnatural, but rather is focused on the intimate and personal relationship between toy and owner.
What Is ‘Benny Loves You’ About?
Benny Loves You follows Jack attempting to manage adulthood following the loss of his parents. After listening to supposedly inspirational podcasts about how to stop being a loser, he throws out all his old possessions to start afresh. This includes his childhood favorite toy, Benny. As the pressures of adulthood grow on Jack, who’s faced with losing both his job and his house, Benny takes matters into his own hands. He takes extreme measures as he begins to eliminate the obstacles in Jack’s life, including a property seller and a police officer. This forces Jack into an uncomfortable position as he tries to suspend his belief that Benny is sentient whilst covering up his criminal activity. The movie is focused on the relationship between these two and how this echoes a universal relationship between a child and his toy.
Benny Loves You works because it was such a passion project for Karl Holt, who directed, produced and starred in the movie. The singularity of the filmmaking allows for an intimate and personal approach that really works with the theming of the movie. For most of the film, we see events unfold as they affect Jack, as everyone else who encounters Benny meets their demise. This echoes the intimacy between a child and their favorite toy, as often there is no one else let into the relationship. We see Jack grow up with Benny, and even when new toys enter his life, Benny still remains the favorite. This contrasts with the norm of killer toy movies, where it is a shiny new toy that creates tension. Benny isn’t advanced in his technology. He isn’t cutting-edge or innovative. He is simply a soft cuddly toy.
How Does ‘Benny Loves You’ End?
Following Benny’s antics, Jack designs a range of toys with similarities to his childhood friend. This initially impresses his boss, but Benny ends up killing the boss’ dog and Jack is fired. It is clear Benny is one of a kind, and this movie continuously emphasizes that you cannot recreate your favorite toy. Unlike M3GAN or Chucky, who are both made to be widely consumed, Benny cannot be duplicated. The fear is imagining your version of Benny in this situation and knowing you’d be helpless. Benny is essentially an extension of Jack. When Jack buries the bodies in the garden, it is almost as if he is trying to bury his own reality. This situation is absurdly relatable since getting rid of the things that were important to you as a child is a universal activity. Jack attempting to conceal Benny and his actions is a commentary on him trying to conceal his past to move into adulthood, and it is clear this is something he is struggling to do. He even nails Benny into a coffin, and the toy still finds a way of escaping. Jack cannot get rid of Benny despite his efforts, and, in the same way, he cannot get rid of his past trauma.
The end of Benny Loves You sees Jack mocked by his co-workers as he warns them of Benny’s true nature. Benny attacks them before following Jack back home where a showdown ensues. Benny is finally shot down and, for the first time, we see Jack able to move on, getting rid of the old house and gaining a new perspective on life. Benny Loves You is more than just a goofy horror comedy with a ridiculous premise and an equally ridiculous killer. It offers a fresh take on the killer-toy trope, moving away from a commentary on consumption and instead exploring the relationship between toys and adulthood. Seeing a toy whose owner has grown up adds an element of rationality over the usual naivety of childhood. This allows Benny Loves You to explore the difficulty that can be faced when you have to stare your childhood in the eye and allow yourself to move on from it. Following his parents’ deaths, Jack is dealt new responsibilities and is left to navigate reality on his own. Holt manages to encapsulate this lack of control in his film. The enthusiasm of Benny contrasted with Jack’s lethargy proves Benny Loves You is more than just a silly indie gem. It’s an in-depth study into the isolation of adulthood.
Benny Loves You is available to stream on Amazon Prime in the U.S.
Watch on Amazon Prime
