Deadstream

If you’re going to dig up the found footage genre from the grave, it has to be with a shovel from Mr. Campbell’s factory. Playfulness, slyness (pissboarding), imaginative use of the score "Shawn Carpenter's Halloween," the invaluable practicality of silver duct tape, and plenty of jabs at the element that connects influencers and evil spirits—the desire for an audience. I recommend setting aside time to read the stream viewers' comments because some are truly rich (I'm so glad I'm not you). Multifunctional filmmaker Joseph Winter is a bit hysterical in the lead role (newspeak would say overly sensitive), but he knows how to entertain. "Garlic!" (24.10.2022)

A golden average, from which I expected a bit more, but in truth it entertained better than well. I like the straightforwardness with which the film picks up, from the first few minutes it waits for nothing and goes straight into the haunted house without any boring sauce around it, the main character is likeable and the found footage style alternating between selfie and POV camera worked for me too. At the same time, I would like to praise the lightness that the film has, as it doesn't play on anything, doesn't take itself seriously, more or less parodies classic found-footage plot patterns and although it doesn't exactly induce fits of laughter, it serves up constant laughs and fun perfectly; a lot of the situations are incredibly absurd memes (beef cam, holy water in a junkie's syringe.... .), and overall the film gives off a very unserious and lighthearted vibe. I also give plus points for some light tension that keeps you wondering if this is a premeditated prank by the main character or a real ghost story and fight for life. There are horror elements, but anyone expecting a conventional or scary horror film should go elsewhere, this is pure entertainment where you have to switch off and not take it seriously. A fine diversion, but one that probably (unfortunately) won't please many people. (03.11.2022)

Very fresh and energetic found footage and probably the most ideal Halloween horror entertainment this year. It works both on the level of the joke and on the level of the scare. Only the opening half hour or so was weaker, because the main character is such an annoying dick. But then when bad things start happening to him, the film picks up the pace and there’s plenty of fun. (16.10.2022)

What to do with a comedy that is not funny and a horror movie that is not scary or brutal? This is pure overhyped mess. I was quite looking forward to Deadstream, the reviews were positive, but I'm going to have to go strongly against the grain because I just didn't find it good in many ways. The protagonist is a big problem for me, a whiny unsympathetic moron whom I didn't find funny or entertaining, I felt awkward most of the time, and the whole movie feels like a child youtuber playing “Silent Hill” on Twitch and squealing like a woman while doing it. The acting is so tragic that it would have been bad even in a C-movie. The very concept of the main character spending the night in a haunted house is fine, but I didn't find the house creepy either, in fact I found it so cozy that I would have slept there just fine too. Add to that a lot of bad SFX, worse than Raimi had 40 years back in Evil Dead and there's something to be said (obvious dummies). The plot is weak, the gore is rubbish, the scares didn't impress me one bit, I found it absolutely not funny and the first hour is a heavy cringefest and quite tedious, too. The finale was relatively okay and the found footage form isn't as annoying here as elsewhere, but the financial shortcomings are damn near everywhere. Host and Grave Encounters are gold in comparison. Plus I take it as propaganda of influencers and youtubers, which I hate from the bottom of my heart. 4/10 (19.10.2022)