Deadstream

To tell you the truth, I don't know what to make of this whole facade! On one hand, I was pretty amused by the comedic punchlines as well as their clever use of horror-specific elements but on the other hand, the constant tonal shifts put me out of the experience not once but multiple times!

I didn't take a look at any of the trailers, I went in completely blind and this is probably the first time I happen to regret my choice. I am certain, anyone who had seen the promos had gone in expecting a horror parody, and there was me, who anticipated something absolutely on the opposite spectrum!

Now, I do not loathe it (although I do despise the lead protagonist who caused me a ton of headaches & annoyance); but I couldn't care for it either. I have mixed feelings, in the truest sense of the word!

That's what I see from Deadstream. This was an amazingly funny movie. I was not sure what to expect when watching this movie. I can be very indifferent about movies that ingrate contemporary technology that influences the culture...like social media, but they picked the right dude to play the semi lone person in this movie. He had a strange balance of being funny with being scared but his being scared made me fear what was about to happen to him. I love his character and how he developed and you can clearly see what type of person he is which lends to both the comedy and the horror. It does lean one way more than the other for too long but I don't need to nick pick, it was good.

The problem with Dashcam was that the girl was maybe the most unlikable idiot I've ever seen in a film. The main character here is great. He plays the obnoxious viewer-chasing blogger but in a way you genuinely like him. Also, the story uses the livestream far better. It's almost like a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire lifeline. It's an asset to the story, not just an aspect.

Is it scary? Sort of. They build up the tension quite a few times. It will be heading towards nerve-racking but then they'll interject comedy and kind of let you off the hook. This isn't a criticism, though. It's a horror infused with comedic elements. My feeling is that it's exactly what the director wanted it to be. While I personally would have liked them to push farther with the scares, that wasn't their plan. Fair enough.

I definitely recommend it. Between this, Sissy, and V/H/S 99 (which I got to see a screener for), Shudder is on a roll.

Made me laugh thru out the 1st half of the movie - just outstanding. The 2nd half got slightly creepier and developed the only way it could. The ending was a let down and kind of showed the cheapness of the special effects etc. But this does not take away from the actor playing a difficult role of an obnoxious but hilariously funny Youtuber. Perfect for Halloween and for fits of laughter. Not really too scary but scary enough for some nervous smiles and a perfect fit for today's world. Again Kudos to the actor who played the protagonist. He captured the irritating, bumbling, kind of obnoxious person perfectly (humorously). And this I do not take for granted..

This had just the perfect mix of creepiness/horror, plus social commentary and humour (without the cringe factor). The main actor who also co-wrote and directed the movie does an incredible job of keeping your attention for so long.

There was a great combination of predictability vs. Surprise and the filming location was just perfect. Anyone who can make a movie this interesting without the budget of a Hollywood movie deserves some real recognition.

I'd love to see a movie like this get the same attention as some of the box office horror hits - total hidden gem! I am officially a forever fan.