From IMDb: A disgraced internet personality attempts to win back his followers by livestreaming one night alone in a haunted house. But when he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life.
I can’t remember the last time a movie made me jump, actually laugh out loud, and nearly vomit as many times as Deadstream. And I mean all of that as a compliment. I don’t think I even would have watched this is I hadn’t gone in cold and watched it the day it debuted on Shudder.
Nothing about this movie should work for me as well as it does. But livestreaming seems to be a natural evolution of the found footage subgenre in a society where about 2.5 million people are watching Twitch streamers at any given moment, and presents a variety of opportunities to mock content creators and build jump scares.
I decided to try a numbered list format because I’ll be honest…I thought it would hold attention more. Just like Deadstream, I value trying to create and hold an audience despite my allegiance to blogging like its 2003 and this is still a viable source of virality.
I really want to encourage everyone to give this a shot (currently available on hoopla for free streaming using your library card!), so I really try to avoid anything that could be construed as a spoiler below. But my list will tip you off to at least one unexpected development that occurs early on in the movie, so you know what’s best for you in terms of continuing to read or not.
Deadstream is an Instant Cult Classic That Leaves You Feeling Energized
I truly believe we will still be talking about this movie for decades to come. It blends the relatively new phenomenon of livestreaming with the classic sound and look of an 80s splatter movie all the way through the end credits. The writing is tight, with most throwaway lines or plot points coming full-circle by the end of the film. I love creators who fine-tune a script to this degree.
It is also the perfect kind of horror movie to show to friends. When you love a genre that has the ability to either emotionally eviscerate you or make you feel like you just went to the best high-energy concert of your life, it is nice to sometimes come out the other side feeling like you just had a blast.
Despite How Funny It Is, It Knows How to Scare You
If I had known Deadstream ends up being a bonkers comedy with tons of gross-out gags ala Evil Dead 2 meets Drag Me to Hell, I’m not sure I would have watched it. Despite my love for those two movies as well as how many horror comedies came out on top of my 2023 and 2022 #31HorrorFilms31Days lists, I still don’t consider myself a fan of the subgenre. At the very least, it is not something I seek out.
But although this starts off with tons of humor and tongue-in-cheek references to content creators, as Shawn begins to explore “Death Manor” the movie incorporates some genuinely effective jump scares and tricks. One such trick is Chrissy.
After getting settled in, Shawn is startled when a fan named Chrissy randomly shows up to the house in order to meet her favorite streamer. Her clothing and hairstyle are reminiscent of the late 90s and her eyes are a strange shade of hazel, but there is nothing overtly wrong about her. We are left hanging for a while about her motivations – is she just an obsessive fan or something more sinister? Either way, the situation inspires a feeling of unease similar to the infamous fear frequency.
A Clever Commentary, But A Never-ending Focus on Horror Comedy
Some horror movies wear meaningful commentary about the human condition on their sleeve (e.g. Dawn of the Dead, Pulse, The Witch). Some focus on just have a good, scary time (e.g. Pieces, My Bloody Valentine 3D, Malignant). While the latter will inevitably have something to say about society since art doesn’t exist in a vacuum, that commentary comes very, very secondary to the dread and violence instead of running parallel with it like the former.
Deadstream definitely falls into the latter category, and stays in its lane in that regard. There are moments where a different movie would try to redeem Shawn or make some kind of broader commentary about streamers. But aside from one clever implication that the vengeful spirit of Mildred may be more similar to a content creator hungering for an audience than one would initially think, Deadstream just sticks to what it is good at by mixing comedy, scares, and goopy, gross-out horror.
A Deeply Unserious Movie with a Deeply Serious Lore
I hate bland horror movies. Some of the cheaper copycats and knockoffs have no atmosphere or depth. They create a paper-thin backstory to get the characters murdered, but don’t put any creativity into the story. Deadstream is the opposite. You can tell each spirit has a story. Even Shawn’s transgression that got him demonetized for months is teased out in a way that it is clear the writers thought carefully about everything that led to Shawn’s “Death Manor” livestream. Shawn brings a soundtrack that he plays at various points to skirt around the usual absence of scores in found footage where the film has to rely on diegetic music. The livestream chat and video messages viewers send in provide additional backstory and commentary. The movie doesn’t cut corners in its backstory and that amplifies the atmosphere and payoffs throughout.
The Way the Main Character Is Written Gives Us Permission to Keep Laughing…At Him
Shawn balances not being utterly deplorable/unwatchable while also not being someone you ever take completely seriously or get emotionally attached to. As soon as he takes the spark plugs out of his car and throws them in the woods to show his commitment to his own foolishness, we are given full permission to roll our eyes and laugh at the batshit misfortunes in store for him. The movie’s tone allows us to keep laughing at Shawn, which in turn reinforces the comedic, high energy tone. He is someone that goes from avoiding accountability at all cost to eventually taking accountability in the most cringeworthy, way off the mark way possible that needs to be seen to be believed. This can be contrasted with a similar new release, #ChadGetsTheAxe, where despite outward appearances all the main characters are eventually given a bit of depth and humanity that hint at the deeper themes of what it means to perform for a live audience. If Shawn is performing for his audience, he never truly breaks so we aren’t asked to question if we should feel bad for him.
In conclusion, please give this movie a shot. Preferably while you can watch it for free on hoopla with your library card. I tried to just watch part of it for this post, and ended up rewatching it for a third time.
A Huffle of Horror 