2026 Big Baby

• Directed by: Spider One
• Written by: Spider One
• Stars: Brandon Scott, Krsy Fox, Torio Van Grol
• Run Time: 1 Hour, 43 Minutes
• Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9EKccmW7hg

Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone

Horror writer Adam is struggling a bit to make it big, but he comes up with a great idea to create a new slasher character, Big Baby. As he gets into it, reality and fiction starts to blur. This is loaded with horror tropes, and the meta vibe of horror story within horror story, leaving us wondering what’s real or not. It’s a little on the talky side at times, but overall really well made and entertaining. Better than both of us expected.

Spoilery Synopsis

We open to Adam listening to a podcast of horror movie reviews, and it’s NOT OURS. Turns out, they really hate the movie that Adam wrote. Adam gets really angry (he shoulda been listening to The Horror Guys). Adam’s girlfriend, Kate, gives him a pep talk. Adam is sooo tired of criticism; everyone hates everything. He makes good money writing horror films, but he’ll never win an Academy Award.

This, naturally, gives Adam writer’s block. He has a nightmare about a serial killer who looks like a huge baby who kills Kate. The next morning, he’s really excited about his new idea. Kate wants him to write a slasher film from the idea. He hates slasher films, but maybe he could elevate it.

Then again, writing isn’t easy, and he’s still got writer’s block. He does laundry instead. He finds the bedsheet cut up, just like in his dream, but it’s probably just a coincidence. At the coffee shop, he runs into the same two horror movie podcasters, and they’re idiots in person as well. They say his movie, “The Blackest Moon” was just plain boring.

Adam and Kate get drunk and talk about cats and monkeys building roller coasters. Adam gets all philosophical about it, mentioning that people create reality from their own thoughts. That night, Adam gets a visit from a little boy who explains the origin of Big Baby; he was a bullied boy who nearly drowned and vowed to get revenge. Wait– was that a dream, or was it real?

He writes the story so far, but Kate doesn’t think that origin was enough to explain a serial killer. Adam makes excuses and wonders what level of revenge can be considered acceptable. Adam then writes about how Big Baby gets his mask; Kate comes home wearing that exact same mask and scares the crap out of Adam.

He runs into a woman at the convenience store and starts stalking her as she walks home. He watches as Big Baby comes out of nowhere and hacks the woman to pieces with an ax. “He’s real,” he tells Kate, who wants to go to the alley and see for herself. Of course, there’s no sign of anything there. Adam thinks writing about Big Baby made it actually happen; he manifested it.

Kate convinces Adam to put the story away for a while. A few weeks later, they have friends over for dinner. Adam and James talk about their work, and “Big Baby” comes up, which gets awkward. Kate really thinks Adam’s losing his mind, and she’s not happy about it.

That night, Big Baby comes to Adam and says “She doesn’t want you to succeed. She’s in our way.” He won’t promise not to hurt Kate. Kate wakes up halfway through the conversation, and she sees that Adam is alone, talking to himself. In the morning, Kate leaves him.

Amanda, one of Big Baby’s victims, comes to visit Adam, and he wants him to save her. She wants out of the story. Big Baby calls from Kate’s phone, “Finish the story or she dies.” Adam then writes another scene, one where Kenny and Julia argue and are killed. He quickly writes another, where Graham gets it. Big Baby impales Graham with a cross and then beheads him. Theo and Nicky are next.

In the real world, James comes to the door to talk about what’s been going on. James leaves, and Adam gets back to work, finally writing Amanda’s death scene. Before he can finish, Amanda appears to Adam and begs to live. If he writes her death, Adam will be no better than the killer. Adam writes of her death anyway. “Sorry.” The story now ends, and Adam laughs that he’s completed it.

Adam goes to James’s house to see Kate, and he’s got a knife. He gives her the knife, and they talk. “There’s only one way for all this to stop,” he says. He calls upon Big Baby to appear, so we can get a proper horror movie ending. She sees the killer as well this time as Big Baby slashes Adam with his ax. Jaes and Patrice break down the door, but only Kate is there, saying Big Baby did it.

As the end credits roll, we get back to those two FAKE podcasters, reviewing the new film, “Big Baby.” They talk about their encounter with the crazy writer, Adam and how he was mysteriously murdered by his girlfriend. After the podcast, Big Baby shows up and starts stalking them both…

Brian’s Commentary

It picks on all the horror tropes, including a lot of behind-the-scenes filmmaking and writing stuff. The critics… well, at least I’ve never had coffee thrown in my face– yet. There’s a lot to say about revenge killings and who actually deserves it in horror movies.

On the other hand, it’s got some long, talky bits. It’s got the usual amount of kills and gore for a slasher film, but the killings aren’t even the real story; it’s all about Adam’s descent into madness.

I liked this way more than I thought I would. Very nice!

Kevin’s Commentary

This was a really cool one. Being a horror reviewer and podcaster knowing as many movies as I do bumped up my enjoyment of it.

And it had an ending I didn’t expect, that’s always a nice bonus. It was really good.