Deadstream

Deadstream (2022)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Joseph & Vanessa Winter

Starring: For the most part, it’s just Joseph Winter and Melanie Stone

From: A few different companies

FAR better than what I was expecting; for something that was mainly watched as it happened to start right after I turned on the Shudder app & went to the “It Came From Shudder” streaming channel. As plenty of mutuals saw it and mostly had positive takes, that piqued my interest. What surprised even me was how much I enjoyed what sounded like just another found footage film.

This follows an A-hole (or to use his terminology, “an A.H.”) YouTube “celebrity” who got banished from there for awhile-the exact specifics are revealed later-so on a comeback, this douche who loves doing risky challenges such as “provoke the police into a foot chase” decides this new challenge should be “spend a night in a haunted house.” He’s the stereotypical tool YouTuber who self-aggrandizes, is SO self-important, and is obsessed with his cult of personality. As the movie progresses, the message is clear: the audience is supposed to think that this “influencer” is utterly insufferable, a totally toxic person-as loathsome and phony as a Mr. Beast, PewDiePie, one of the Paul brothers or Shane Dawson. This coming so soon after the Try Guys controversy was fortuitous timing on the film’s part.

I knew little going in and I’ll try to be vague although some things will still be mentioned by myself. What I was expecting was a goofy and predictable “scary” found footage film filled w/ banality. Instead, not only was this far funnier, it was simply a lot of fun. I laughed often at both how dopey the lead character was and the situations he was in. Co-director Joseph Winter did a swell job as Shawn, although Melanie Stone was great in her role. YMMV but personally this was a pleasant surprise in that its tone is more like the Evil Dead sequels than anything else and it managed to make a lot out of what sounded like a simple premise. Admittedly, I wish I wouldn’t have suddenly wondered how a house in the middle of nowhere has such nice Wi-fi reception to allow for a livestream-many modern movies engage in even more egregious logical fallacies and in more frequency…

The husband and wife duo of Joseph & Vanessa Winter for certain impressed me here. By now I am well aware that many people like their segment in V/H/S 99 the most-it also features Melanie Stone-yet that would require me seeing the 5th entry in a franchise I promised to avoid for good as none of the first four I thought was even good enough to be rated as OK. At least I’ll happily watch their next project if it’s as original and endearing as Deadstream.