"DEADSTREAM" // SXSW 2022
Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter) is a douchy Youtube vlogger who is pulling dangerous and distasteful stunts in order to get views. Recently he was shunned online, cancelled because of a stunt he did that actually hurt someone other than himself. Now he's determined to climb back to the top of internet influencers and decides to livestream a stunt that can only hurt himself. It's a fear he's had his entire life: he's going to explore and sleep inside a real haunted house. He throws away his car keys into the woods and makes his car undrivable, all to make sure he's removing any temptation to escape. Then he breaks into the haunted house. Welcome to the idiot livestream.
DEADSTREAM is a fun, throwback film, with wild Evil Dead energy and a strong performance by Joseph Winter, who truly creates a great representation of so many irresponsible vloggers online. Co-written and Co-directed by Vanessa Winter, the duo create basically a one-man show for Shawn. We watch the film as if we're watching the livestream ourselves (for the most part). He's oddly charming at times until he does something stupid and then you snap out of it and go, "Yeah, he's doomed." The best moments come via practical effects, adding some truly creepy moments in the haunted house. The film is also very funny, especially as he continues to speak to his viewers, reading comments that are constantly making fun of him. A bit of Sam Raimi, a bit of Blair Witch Project, Deadstream may not get you to root for its lead exactly. But you will have a hell of a time watching him slowly drown.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Vanessa Winter, Joseph Winter STARRING Joseph Winter, Melanie Stone SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2022 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: DEADSTREAM