PLOT: A disgraced internet personality attempts to win back his followers by live-streaming one night alone in a haunted house. But when he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life.
REVIEW: It’s really no surprise that Deadstream has been getting such high marks: it’s genuinely hysterical at times and downright frightening at others. I love the concept of someone putting themselves into a scary situation only to be shocked that something scary happens to them. There are so many different ways to do it, whether it’s with inbred hillbillies or vengeful ghosts, that it really allows the mystery to play out for quite some time. And that’s where the fun really begins.
Shawn Ruddy (Winter) is a disgraced Youtuber who is trying to make a huge comeback by spending time in a haunted house. And don’t worry, this isn’t the carnival type of haunted house, this is the ghost-friendly kind. The story unfolds in a satisfying way, ramping up the tension and constantly making you question what’s happening. There are some great jump scares but they don’t overdo them. I’d say that’s usually what turns me off from the found footage style, but they never get too crazy with it. In fact, the filmmakers use the format to their advantage, altering the footage in funny yet practical ways. How Deadstream plays with its format is where it really excels.
Joseph Winter Is absolutely phenomenal as Shawn Ruddy. The man absolutely embodies every Type A YouTuber out there. It’s great seeing him play so many different types of scared: faking it, leaning into it, and genuine horror. I think many of the laughs come from Joseph screaming in terror. And the many ways that he tries to censor himself to avoid being demonetized, while still being in a life-and-death situation, is hysterical. It would have been so easy to make him unlikable but instead, he just comes across as a lovable doofus, doing his best. Despite what an absolute moron he can be at times.
One of the more intriguing aspects of Deadstream is the mystery behind Shawn’s transgressions. It’s shown right from the onset that he was canceled for some stunt gone wrong, but it’s not cleared up until much later on. I liked this choice because it almost causes you to think the absolute worst. By the time the revelation comes along, it’s shocking and plays perfectly into his character. The effects can be a little cheap, but that’s part of the allure. It makes it feel like it could practically be a haunted house. Plus I’ll always have a soft spot for the Evil Dead style of makeup, which this has in spades.
Joseph and Vanessa Winter wrote and directed the feature and also have a segment in VHS 99 releasing later this month (Check out our review here). They manage to keep a steady pace, even with the found footage style of shooting. The fact that it doesn’t drag at any moment is quite impressive. As someone that isn’t usually a big fan of these kinds of films, I really loved what they did here. And keep an eye out for the scrolling comments as they have interesting insight. They also have hilarious non-sequiturs that lighten the mood.
If you’re into ghost stories or found footage films then Deadstream is the one for you. There are some genuine thrills and plenty of memorable moments. But it’s Shawn who’s the real star of the show and he makes the proceedings feel light and breezy. I could spend multiple films with that guy. As someone making a living in the Youtube space, I could easily be biased, but I had a blast here. Rewatchable horror/comedies feel few a far between, so I’m glad Shudder has this for all to see.
Deadstream is Streaming on SHUDDER OCTOBER 6th 2022!