Deadstream  ★★★

SCREEN Life is a new term for those films like Searching and Missing where the entire story plays out on multiple screens and videos.

Then there are also hybrids which combine a bit of screen life, hand-held camera work and found footage.

There was a hybrid horror film released last year called Dashcam and it was a real chore to watch.

The main reason was the lead character, an opinionated video-caster/influencer, who was meant to be a parody (I think) but just came across as an annoying jerk.

Deadstream, also released in 2022, is a much better effort. We are told at the start that we are about to see video-caster Shawn Ruddy’s final broadcast.

Ruddy has achieved popularity online by doing things that he isn’t crazy about, like hanging off tall buildings even though he is petrified of heights. One of his stunts backfired and his popularity plummeted as a result.

The broadcast that is the subject of Deadstream, is his first time back in a while and he has decided to pull another stunt based on one of his worst fears – staying the night in a supposedly haunted house. I’ll leave you to imagine what happens.

There are two main things in the film’s favour – it’s technically well shot and lit, in contrast to many similar films, and co-writer/director Joseph Winter does a good job of creating a manic, sometimes humorous lead character whom the audience can actually identify with.

Definitely worth a look for fans of this type of film.

Watched on Shudder