Deadstream
After a public controversy left him disgraced and demonetized, a washed up internet personality tries to win back his followers by livestreaming himself spending one night alone in an abandoned haunted house. When he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life (and social relevance) as he faces off with the sinister spirit of the house and her own powerful following.
- Released: 2022-03-11
- Runtime: 87 minutes
- Genre: Comedy, Horror
- Stars: Melanie Stone, Joseph Winter
- Director: Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter
Comments
- deloudelouvain - 13 May 2024
Better than I expected it to be.
I'll admit I had doubts about this movie. The reason, it looked like it was going to be a homemade low budget movie, with a very small cast, just one location, and the main actor being also the writer and director. Also shot with a handycam, not really the style I normally like to watch. But Joseph Winter did a good job combining it all. Also the fact that it was about followers and an influencer, not really things or persons I have a high opinion about. But it turned out be subtle irony and that was the thing that made me laugh more than once. As for the horror, for a low budget, it was decent. Mostly jump scares but good ones. Found footage movies can be slow and ultimately boring but this one, although not really a found footage but in the same style, was good entertainment. In this genre well worth a watch. - arungeorge13 - 16 November 2023
An inventive parody of YouTube culture with solid practical FX! [+62%]
Here's the thing with found footage films. In most cases, either the central premise is done-to-death or the central characters are too cocky or uninteresting. In Deadstream, the premise is pretty straightforward but the protagonist is one of those crazy vloggers who'll go to any lengths to gather a following. While he isn't the kind whose motivations you'd instantly fall in line with, his one-liners ("let's demonetize this b*tch" had me in splits!) and quirky personality definitely hook you. So, when this guy, who was once cancelled by the internet for doing some notorious deeds on a livestream, decides to visit a "haunted house", we know he's in for a horrific treat.
The parody elements work to a large extent, especially in the entirety of the first hour. This is coupled with some disgustingly good practical effects, making the scares enjoyable (if not downright scary). Joseph Winter (one of the directors) plays Shawn (the protagonist) in a believable effort. Was he a decent scream-king? Oh yes! Melanie Stone was also fantastic in this, as a supporting character. The final act was a bit of an overkill in my books, with neither the humour nor the effects particularly standing out. The comments section on the livestream continued to be amusing even in these portions. I quite enjoyed the Winters' work in V/H/S 99 too, which I watched prior to this.
