Part of the beauty of film festivals is you never really know what you’re about to walk into next—full length features lined up after shorts, world premieres next to critically acclaimed films, and of course, pieces you love and ones you hate. Cinequest 2019 is no exception. While I recommend both films featured in today’s twofer, I’m pretty sure the only thing they have in common is the fact that –SPOILER ALERT – most of the cast ends up dead by the end.
Family is a film by Israeli writer/director Veronica Kedar, who also stars as the film’s lead—a young woman named Lily, who shows up to her therapist’s house desperately needing to confess why she just killed her whole family in their own home. Sure, walking into a film like that you’re not exactly expecting an upper, and you know it’s gonna end up being worse than a few uncomfortable moments around the dinner table. But Kedar takes us down a dark, windy path that I doubt anyone was prepared for.
She expertly probes each family member’s mental and physical struggles, the devastation they’ve inflicted upon one another over the years, and through it all, the persistent, twisted love that remains, even through death. By the end of the film, your emotions are stripped raw, and you wonder if anything more could possibly shock you. But in an almost 
magical way, at the same time, it also feels like pushing back from a lab table after wrapping up a dissection—yes it’s not pretty, and you saw more than you probably ever wanted to, but you also have a much deeper appreciation for the delicate, intricate beauty that makes these crazy things called families function—or dysfunction.
Beyond the film’s beautifully poetic, macabre themes, Family is also well-acted, and has a few gasp-worthy moments of real-life terror, but if I’m being honest, it could have done with a much heavier hand in the editing department, with a keen eye to the attention span of the audience. Nevertheless, if indie horror is what you’re into, and if you’re in the mood for bleak, this one is definitely worth checking out.
And then of course, in true film festival style, the lights come up, and it’s onto the next—and Kill Ben Lyk could not have been a more stark contrast to Family. The film opens with the death of the very first Ben Lyk to go—don’t worry, not a spoiler, it’s the premise of the whole film—and from the very first shots, you know you’re in for a hilarious ride. We learn that someone is out to kill all the Ben Lyks in London, including our main character—an obnoxious vlogger who, despite his immaturity, is undeniably endearing. We follow vlogger Ben, the rest of the Bens, and some pretty incompetent police officers on a quest to determine who is trying to kill Ben Lyk, why, and which Ben is up next.
Fresh off Family, my laughter at the jokes in this film may have admittedly been amplified by a desperate sigh of relief, but this film is much more my speed. Kill Ben Lyk is a true comedy through and through. Sarcastic, random, British humor effected by actors with impeccable timing and clearly having a blast with improv at every turn—this film is a raucous romp full of applause-worthy jokes and memorable lines guaranteed to be repeated among friends for years to come. Although my appreciation for Kill Ben Lyk falls more in line with my comedic enjoyment of Happy Death Day 2U and has much less in common with my love for true horror like The Hole in the Ground, I had a blast all the same. An instant cult classic along the lines of What We Do in the Shadows, Kill Ben Lyk is a winner.
SpecialK Verdict: If you’re looking for dark, see Family and prepare to cringe, but if a hilarious escape is more your speed, don’t miss Kill Ben Lyk.
Family and Kill Ben Lyk are both featured in the 2019 Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival.
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