Parents' Guide to

Bad Milo

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Horror-comedy is really gross but not very scary or funny.

Movie R 2013 85 minutes
Bad Milo Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
October 15, 2013
age 15+

Very decent horror/comedy flick!

I watched Bad Milo not really knowing what to expect, but because of good online reviews I gave it a go. I thought it was pretty well done for a comedy/horror. Very silly and often disturbing! Yes it was funny, it was not very scary but definitely gory! One thing is for sure, Milo is so adorable! It's about a man named Duncan (Ken Marino) who is having a hard time at work including his presentation being erased from his hard drive and his retirement fund disappears which also upsets his wife, Sarah (Gillian Jacobs). But Duncan is having stomach issues and one night while on the toilet, Duncan gives "birth" to a creature that comes out of his butt (nothing graphic shown). That creature is called Milo. Milo has bad tendencies to hurt and kill those that Duncan does not like, which upsets Duncan because he is a good man and has no intentions of hurting anyone. Scared and frustrated, Duncan turns to a hypnotherapist (Peter Stormare) for help but with no guaranteed results. It is not a serious movie, it's only mindless fun to kill time with. Language is strong throughout with f-words, sh*t, b*tch @ss and much more. Violence is very strong and disturbing with the main point being that Milo comes out of Duncan's butt and also goes back in when he's done killing - it is followed by noises of pain and farting sounds. Milo kills several characters with lots of blood and gore. Milo bites off a mans penis which is shown for about 6 seconds. Though when Milo isn't killing, he's as cute as can be. Sexual content isn't too bad but includes a man going down on a woman in an alley, she moans but nothing is shown. He later masturbates when she refuses to return the favor (not graphic). Sexual innuendo between a couple at a dinner table. Pack of condoms are shown. Married couples kiss. No drinking but an old man is said to be a pothead and you see him smoking in one scene (hard to tell, I thought it was a cigarette at first!) Some will think it's stupid, some will think it's hilarious. You be the judge. Safe for 16++!!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Duncan (Ken Marino) is under a lot of stress. He learns that lots of layoffs are coming at work -- and that his jerk of a boss (Patrick Warburton) has put him in charge of telling co-workers the bad news. Then his presentation is erased from his hard drive, and his retirement fund disappears. And his mother (Mary Kay Place) shows too much PDA with her much younger lover and continually pressures Duncan and his wife, Sarah (Gillian Jacobs), to have kids. Meanwhile, Duncan is having terrible gastrointestinal pain. One night, the pain becomes unbearable as a creature, Milo, escapes from Duncan's bottom and starts killing the people who are bothering him. A hypnotherapist (Peter Stormare) tries to help, but is it too late?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

Bad Milo probably wanted to be gleefully naughty, but instead it's just bad. The basic idea of the movie -- the id taking on a physical form and committing unspeakable acts -- has been done many times in horror movies. (The Brood and Basket Case come to mind.) Written by Benjamin Hayes and Jacob Vaughan and directed by Vaughn, Bad Milo only adds the idea of the creature living inside a man's anus, which is just gross, as well as some humor, though it isn't very funny. The main problem with this kind of movie is that the main character is required to be a passive milquetoast, and unless there's a certain amount of sympathy for him, it just doesn't work. Marino's comical straight man character doesn't generate any laughs or sympathy. And often the humor that's going on around him is of the "shock" variety, as well as the same joke repeated again and again.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Bad Milo's bloody violence. Was it scary, or did it make you laugh? What's the difference? What do you think the filmmakers' intent was?

  • What's the appeal of a horror/comedy like this one? Is it fun to be grossed out? Why?

  • What is Duncan's relationship with his family like? Can he communicate with his mother or father? His wife? Would things improve if he could?

Movie Details

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