"Deadstream" - Shudder Film Review
Deadstream is The Blair Witch Project for the YouTube generation. Shawn (Joseph Winter) of the online video channel Wrath of Shawn, is the latest “victim” of cancel culture. The exact reason for Shawn’s cancellation is unknown to the audience, but we are able to see the effects. His once-popular YouTube channel has been demonetized and he has lost his sponsorships. But then all of Shawn’s problems are solved by a faux-teary apology video and he announces his return to making content where he participates in outrageous stunts to face his fears. Shawn’s comeback is a livestream of an overnight stay at Death Manor. As the night goes on, Shawn discovers he may not be alone in the manor.
This film is an interesting way to take what is essentially a one-man show and create something much larger. Spree, the Joe Keery-led film from 2020, has a similar premise of an internet personality vying for fame and sponsorships, although Spree has more characters interacting with Keery. Still, the two films share a charming DIY sensibility. Deadstream, especially, shows how much can be accomplished with one person and a multitude of cameras. It isn’t until around the thirty-minute mark that another person, Chrissy (Melanie Stone), comes into play. Before that moment, Shawn is on his own with the spooky sounds in Death Manor. A movie doesn’t need a massive budget or hundreds of crew members, Deadstream is proof of that.
Some may find Shawn’s over-the-top YouTube personality to be too much, but it is essential to the film. There’s a specific type of person who would choose to start making internet videos and then take it one step further with an all-night livestream. Shawn is nowhere near as grating as some actual YouTubers, but he exemplifies the sort of delusional ideas of grandeur that have become synonymous with people like Jake Paul.
Deadstream clocks in at just under ninety minutes, and it’s all the better for not trying to drag out this livestream gone wrong. The film is exactly as advertised. It’s a smart blend of comedy and gory scares, while never losing its ghost story roots. Deadstream does not go too far beyond the general concept of “canceled” streamer. Since the audience doesn’t learn what Shawn did to lose his sponsorships until the very end, it’s hard to understand if we should be rooting for his success or demise. Without having a sturdy understanding of who Shawn is from the perspective of people who were affected by him, Deadstream cannot be anything more than a goofball scarefest. And that’s okay. Not every film has to have complicated hidden meanings that are extremely well thought-out critiques of society. It’s just hard to completely enjoy Deadstream without the full picture of the protagonist.
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