Reviews: Cyst (2020) Movie Review
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Our review of Cyst (2020) dives into the story, the scares, and whether it truly delivers the horror fans crave.
Cyst is a deliberately over-the-top creature feature that embraces the absurdity of 1960s sci-fi horror. Set in a small-town medical office, the story follows Dr. Guy (George Hardy), an eccentric and dangerously ambitious doctor attempting to perfect his experimental cyst-removal machine. When a routine procedure goes horribly wrong, a monstrous cyst comes to life, growing rapidly and wreaking havoc in the clinic.
Cyst (2020) – A Bizarre, Gory Throwback to Campy Creature Horror
This film is purely a love letter to campy horror, blending body horror, mad scientist tropes, and ridiculous practical effects. Thematically, it doesn’t delve into anything too deep—it’s a self-aware, absurd gore-fest designed to entertain fans of low-budget, B-movie horror from decades past. Unlike many modern horror films that rely on psychological depth or social commentary, Cyst is more focused on outrageous gore, ridiculous dialogue, and creature-based chaos.
The characters are exaggerated caricatures, fitting the film’s deliberately cheesy tone. Dr. Guy is a lunatic with delusions of medical greatness, played with unhinged enthusiasm by George Hardy. Eva Habermann plays Patricia, a disgruntled nurse who has had enough of her boss’s recklessness, serving as the film’s reluctant hero. However, character development is almost nonexistent—this film knows exactly what it is and doesn’t waste time on emotional arcs.
Acting and Cinematography
George Hardy, best known for his unintentionally hilarious performance in Troll 2, leans into the insanity of his role, delivering a campy, over-the-top performance that fits the film’s intentionally ridiculous tone. His exaggerated line delivery and wild-eyed expressions make him an entertaining mad scientist figure. Eva Habermann plays it a bit straighter, trying to be the voice of reason in the absurdity, but even her performance feels deliberately exaggerated at times.
Visually, Cyst embraces the aesthetic of classic B-movies, complete with cheap-looking sets, practical creature effects, and a retro-inspired color palette. The practical effects are both disgusting and hilarious, with the monstrous cyst itself being a grotesque, pulsating mass of flesh and pus. While the effects are obviously low-budget, they have a charming, handmade quality that makes them fun to watch. The cinematography mimics the old-school look of 1960s horror, with exaggerated zoom-ins, tilted camera angles, and a grainy texture that adds to the nostalgic feel.
Directing Style, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Directed by Tyler Russell, Cyst is a film that fully embraces the absurdity of body horror and the ridiculousness of vintage sci-fi horror tropes. The film is intentionally silly, never taking itself seriously, and for those who appreciate bad-on-purpose horror, it delivers exactly what it promises.
The biggest strength of Cyst is its commitment to camp and practical effects. Every ounce of its low-budget charm, from gooey prosthetics to melodramatic acting, is executed with an awareness of the genre it’s parodying. Fans of The Evil Dead, Re-Animator, and Basket Case will appreciate the ridiculous gore-soaked spectacle.
However, the film lacks any real suspense or depth. It’s goofy, gory, and gross, but it doesn’t have much else to offer beyond the novelty of its concept. Some jokes fall flat, the pacing drags in parts, and the paper-thin plot barely sustains its 70-minute runtime. Additionally, while some of the practical effects are impressive for a low-budget film, others look so cheap that they verge on parody rather than homage.
Final Verdict & Score: 5/10
Cyst is a deliberately stupid, gory, and absurd B-movie that succeeds in being a loving tribute to campy creature horror. It’s fun for fans of schlocky, over-the-top horror, but general audiences might find it too silly and underdeveloped. While the practical effects and ridiculous premise make for an entertaining, gross-out experience, the film’s lack of substance, pacing issues, and limited appeal keep it from being a truly great cult horror film.
Sources Used to Shape This Review
Insights in this review are drawn from director interviews, fan commentary, production notes, and long-form breakdowns across genre-specific platforms. Content is written uniquely and reviewed for accuracy.
- Cyst Rating Scores
- Our Score: 5/10
- Overall Score: 4.55/10
- IMDB: 4.3/10
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