So, we’re back at it on Shudder for another Shudder original. Shudder, if someone on your team is reading this then please reach out because I’d love to work with you guys. I don’t know exactly what I could do. Maybe I could be the Maria Menounos of Shudder.
I have to say, this is the sixth day of using Shudder and I’m impressed with the streaming service. There are your regular horror movies, the classics, and then there’s the newer, original movies like some of the ones I’ve already reviewed. The thing that I like about Shudder is that you get to watch some films that extend past the normal Hollywood stereotypical horror movie.
One such example that goes outside of normal horror genre conventions is Deadstream which was released on Oct. 6. The film follows a disgraced YouTuber named Shawn Ruddy (played by Joseph Winter). Shawn is one of those streamers that does the most outlandish challenges in search of views. One such challenge was the Baby Moses Challenge where he’s put on river in an adult sized basket and floats down the river like baby Moses did. Eventually his antics catch up to him and Shawn is cancelled. But when does good old cancellation keep a guy down? Never, because just like in real life, Shawn makes an apology video and comes back into the spotlight in about six months. Now with his videos remonetized, Shawn is trying to be on his best behavior while at the same time keeping all of his loyal fanbase that loved his crazier content.
This leads him to stay the night inside an honest to goodness haunted.
The whole movie looks and feels like an actual YouTube video. As a fan of ghost hunter YouTube channels, I can tell that everyone that worked on this film did their homework.
The highlight of this movie is Shawn. He’s funny, stupid, cringy, and entertaining to watch. I sorta wish the actor had a YouTube channel.
The other highlight is the actual production of this film. It seriously looks and feels as if it’s an actual YouTube video. Shawn even interacts with his livestream chat. There are also times when Shawn shares other older videos and pictures from prior investigations of the haunted house. Although, most of the time, I’m staring at Shawn’s monstrous nostrils.
How Shawn goes about saving himself from the haunted house is perfect. I absolutely love the meta-ness of this film. The way it leans into the content creator tropes and commentary is unique and fits perfectly with Shawn’s own personal struggles. If you’re a fan of the Evil Dead and Paranormal Activity movies, you’ll most likely enjoy this one.
31 Days of Horror Rankings:
- Deadstream (2022)
The Writer's Apocalypse 