The found footage horror movie subgenre saturated the film market after The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999. It might have taken a few years, but by the end of the 2000s, the monumental success of Paranormal Activity assured us that the subgenre wasn’t going anywhere. Since then, we’ve gotten several found footage franchises, such as Rec, V/H/S, and Creep, as well as six more Paranormal Activity stories and a Blair Witch sequel. Although some argue the subgenre is stale and overused, there are still fresh releases that revive the style. And in 2022, we got the perfect example of this in Deadstream. The horror comedy manages to be interchangeably satirical and terrifying, filled with humor, jump scares, grotesque practical effects, and unpredictable twists.
Deadstream revolves around Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter), an infamous internet personality who records himself doing juvenile stunts like getting smuggled across the border and attempting dog sledding in his underwear. After a controversy, Shawn returns to the internet after a six-month break, determined to save his influencer vlogging career. To do this, he decides to livestream himself spending the night in a haunted house in Utah, after he sabotages any means to escape the house. He sets up multiple video cameras throughout in order to catch any supernatural events, which start to occur and escalate as Shawn investigates.
‘Deadstream’ Is a Horror Satire of Modern Influencer Culture
What makes Deadstream work so well is the perfect balance of the comedic and horrific aspects. It was heavily inspired by the cringe-inducing modern age of narcissistic internet influencer scandals and cancel culture and is extremely self-aware in doing so. Shawn is annoying and obnoxious, but there are moments when we find him endearing. He is a perfect caricature of the self-absorbed social media influencer and is essentially trolled by the ghosts haunting the house. Despite Deadstream’s humorous aspects, there are still some terrifying jump scares and shocking twists.
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Regardless of constraints like an ultra-low budget, small crew, and limited setting, Deadstream manages to keep viewers on their toes and captivated throughout. It utilizes glorious special effects and pays homage to classic horror predecessors like Evil Dead II and House through its imaginative effects and gradual escalation into complete chaos. The ghosts toy with Shawn by possessing him, picking his nose while he’s unconscious (more than once!), popping up in unexpected places, and waterboarding him with his own urine for fun. Deadstream is not just interchangeably comedic or violent — it effectively employs both simultaneously
Together, married power couple Vanessa and Joseph Winter wrote, edited, produced, and directed Deadstream, in addition to Joseph composing the music and starring as Shawn. Together, their vision created a wildly imaginative homage to horror clichés while staying original. Despite its tiny budget, their collaboration was highly successful. It blends modern satire and classic horror techniques that keep audiences both laughing and on edge.
The casting also enhances the film, not just with Joseph Winter as Shawn, but with Melanie Stone as Chrissy/Mildred, who is wickedly memorable. It’s enhanced by the chat stream that is happening throughout, which perfectly satirizes internet chat threads in our modern age and adds to the humor aspect, ranging from comments trying to help him escape and give advice, to asking for a birthday shout-out while Shawn is being attacked. Deadstream proves the Winters’ creative synergy and vision, and they’ve truly found their niche in the found footage subgenre. They were able to not only showcase their talent but also prove that there is still plenty of life left in the found footage subgenre, as Deadstream is one of the best found footage movies and horror comedies of recent cinema.
Deadstream is available to stream on Shudder in the U.S.
Deadstream
- Release Date
- October 20, 2022
- Cast
- Melanie Stone , Joseph Winter , Jason K. Wixom , Pat Barnett Carr , Marty Collins , Perla Lacayo , Cylia Austin-Lacayo , Hayden Gariety , Ariel Lee , Jaxon Harker , Brenden Bytheway , Doug May , Vanessa Winter , Jeremy Warner
- Runtime
- 87 minutes
- Producers
- Melanie Stone , Amanda Seria , Naomi McClure , Lynette B. Cook , Patty Winter
