Milk & Serial

Is this movie amazing on its own? No, there are tons of better movies out there. Is it amazing considering it was made at home by non-professional filmmakers and on a very low budget? Yes, I don't think many people could pull this off. It's also better than some professionally made movies out there.

The only critique I can think of is that there are parts of it that feel slow or dragged out. But for the most part, it's an engaging, creepy movie with good actors, genuinely frightening/weird moments, and an interesting, well crafted plot. Not a huge fan of the found footage format, but it does it well.

"Milk & Serial" is a 2024 found footage horror film that explores the dark side of online fame and the dangers of crossing lines for content. The film follows two roommates and social media influencers, Milk and Seven, who push the boundaries of their pranks to increasingly dangerous levels. When a birthday prank goes horribly wrong, the pair find themselves entangled in a terrifying and deadly game with a mysterious entity.

The film effectively uses the found footage format to create a sense of immediacy and realism, immersing the viewer in the escalating chaos. The performances are strong, particularly from Curry Barker who plays Milk, capturing the character's descent into obsession and desperation.

"Milk & Serial" is a chilling exploration of the thin line between entertainment and exploitation, and the consequences of prioritizing views and likes over human decency. It serves as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of social media and the importance of ethical content creation.

Attempting a big social media prank, a group of friends try to continually get one over on each other as the experience draws them into the long-hidden psychopathic intuitions of one of the group's depressed past that sets them off into a race against time to stop their unhinged plans from coming true.

Overall, this was a solid enough indie genre effort. One of the finer aspects with this one is the engrossing and likable setup that features quite a lot of likable elements to it. The initial setup with the friend-group who are going around setting up the exploits of their channel and relationship with each other by setting up elaborate and harmful pranks on each other for a birthday surprise gets this established quite nicely so that the later exploits are far more believable. Not knowing whether or not the series of crazed incidents, from encountering the stranger in the apartment to the suicide attempts by the figure they come across, and the bizarre kidnapping scheme that quickly goes array, there's a genuinely thrilling and immersive experience that all builds up a fantastic showcase for the eventual devolution into insanity that comes about as how he treats his friends over time helps this out immensely. Beyond this, though, there's not much to this one that stands out. The type of setup featured here generating vicious and somewhat illegal pranks on people for the sake of views on their video channel makes the group so unlikable it's hard to get invested in what's going on with the friends barely being worth investing this much time into. As this is due to the prank-video nature of the channel so no one can be believed or trusted, that just adds even more to what's going on here There's also the fact that there's so many obvious instances in which psychotic behavior becomes quite underwhelming to see play out as too many obvious red flags are ignored for the sake of moving a story along that's quite cliche and familiar. As well as a lackluster finale that makes for so many rule-breaking moments of found-footage throughout here, these all manage to bring this one down overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

This 2024 indie horror flick is straight fire, and it's blowin' up all over YouTube. Directed by Curry Barker, who also stars in it, this movie was made on a shoestring budget of just $800, but don't let that fool you-it's legit one of the best horror films I've seen lately.

The plot centers around two YouTube pranksters who are always tryin' to outdo each other with wild stunts. But things take a dark turn when one prank goes way too far. I won't spoil it for y'all, but let's just say it gets real intense, real quick. The found-footage style makes it feel super authentic, like you're watchin' actual footage from these dudes' lives.

Curry Barker, who you might know from his YouTube channel, not only directed and wrote the film but also plays one of the main characters. His performance is raw and believable, makin' you feel every moment of tension. The other lead, Cooper Tomlinson, also delivers a solid performance, adding depth to the story with his portrayal of a prankster caught in over his head.

What's wild is that this film was shot over four months with a group of friends, usin' a Sony camcorder they later sold for a profit. Talk about guerrilla filmmaking! The low-budget vibe actually adds to the authenticity, makin' it feel like you're watchin' real events unfold.

Since its release on YouTube in August 2024, "Milk & Serial" has racked up hundreds of thousands of views and sparked a ton of discussions online. It's a testament to how creativity and a good story can trump big budgets. If you're into horror that's fresh, innovative, and a bit gritty, you gotta check this one out.

Overall, "Milk & Serial" is a standout in the 2024 horror scene. It's a chilling, thought-provoking film that stays with you long after the credits roll. Highly recommend givin' it a watch-just maybe not right before bed.

A lot of found footage horror movies over the years would have been a lot better served had they leaned into a shorter runtime. 90 minutes of footage is a seriously long time to justify someone keeping a camera running for. If 'Milk & Serial' had tried to push for an extra half an hour it could have undone all the great work this little gem of a film had created. This was a good one.

This was everything I like in a good found footage film. It's dark and constantly twisting and we know it is all building up to a treacherous ending. As far as this sub-genre goes, the acting is pretty good as well.

For a film available free on YouTube this was a great little treat. 9/10.