Hot on the heels of writer and director team Vanessa and Joseph Winter’s September release, Deadstream, is the new V/H/S/99. Both titles are part of the Halloween slate for the horror streaming platform Shudder, which has been carving out a reliable niche for quirky, genre-blending frights. Eager fans of both haunted house stories and influencer-horror should get a kick out of what this new filmmaking team has to offer. Coming somewhere between Grave Encounters and Dashcam, the POV horror movie follows confessed douchebag, Shawn, who has fallen out of grace with his followers after a stunt gone too far.
Not shying away from being kicked while he’s down, Shawn (Joseph Winter) wants to show his audience how sorry he is. He pours forth a heartfelt story online, in a way that teeters between genuine remorse and opportunistic theatrics. Shawn recounts his childhood and his fear of both horror movies and ghosts, and plans a night of terror inside a known haunted house. The Winters linger on his self-importance just enough for you to enjoy the setup before the chaos kicks in. To back up his story, tidbits on the abandoned, broken-down estate’s history are played out in graphic detail, complete with creaking floorboards, peeling wallpaper, and a sense that the house itself might be listening.
POV Movies With a GoPro
Deadstream has all the usual fare included in a haunted house movie. The title strips back what is usually offered to balance out the gags, opting for humorous spirits instead of particularly scary ones. But even the lighter moments carry a streak of menace, especially when a joke lingers a second too long. Shawn’s production equipment is a good addition, too. There is a bit of an upgrade from the found footage handheld camera usually seen in films like this.
Here we are treated to a strap-on GoPro-type headgear. What’s more, Shawn has multiple cameras that don’t confine you to one person’s shaky-cam vision, allowing for quick switches between perspectives when the action heats up. It’s a clever way to keep things visually fresh without sacrificing the claustrophobic tension that fans of the format love.
Horror tropes galore fill the Deadstream movie with the familiarity that made this worthy of a few laugh-out-loud moments. All things considered, there were only a few minor faux pas in the set design. Filmmakers went to great lengths to cover set pieces in dust and add realistic embellishments, and then at other times, they forgot, which just made it more noticeable. Still, the overall effect is convincing enough to immerse most viewers, especially when paired with the film’s well-timed jump scares and knowing winks at horror history.
The comedy-infused horror elements are suited to most styles. Other gags are nothing more than toilet humor, but there are plenty of more astute jokes as well as cute horror movie references that even out the scorecard. I did find the proceedings a little exhausting about halfway through while waiting for the finale. Nonetheless, Winters’ screams, frantic improvisations, and increasing triage moments went down a treat, and the crowd-pleasing climax proves the Winters know exactly how to stick the landing.
Deadstream: Where to Watch
Deadstream 2022 (POV Horror) streaming on:
— Mother of Movies
- Writer and Directors Joseph Winter and Vanessa Winter
- The cast of Dead Stream includes Joseph Winter, Melanie Stone, and Jason K. Wixom
- The Shudder horror movie platform will host the Deadstream film from October 6, 2022.
- Deadstream screened at the Fantasia Film Festival 2022, and Mother of Movies was part of the press.
- For a recently released Point of View horror movie, try Mind Body Spirit 2024. For more on the influencer agenda, Influencer and Influencers will give you what you need. If you like horror where people are carrying something in the woods, watch Within The Pines 2025.
Deadstream is rated
3.5 finger-licking good dead people out of 5
