To the Manor, Shawn

Deadstream (Joseph Winter & Vanessa Winter, 2022)

Felt like sharing some love for Deadstream (2022); a horror comedy that's left a lasting impression on me since watching it over Halloween night. It owes a lot of what makes it work to Sam Raimi's original The Evil Dead (1981), but it also adds a few contemporary features making it a far more interesting spin than what Fede Alvarez achieved with Evil Dead (2013).

Shawn Ruddy, played by actor and co-director, Joseph Winter, is a cancelled internet celebrity hoping to make a comeback by spending the night in the ominously nicknamed "Death Manor", while livestreaming it. For a film that goes by the conventions of the one-night-in-a-haunted-house type formula, there's a lot going on here; from Shawn's fall from grace; the legend of Mildred Pratt; the previous victims befallen in Death Manor; Chrissy, the stalkerish fan, and demonic rituals, these all constitute to the film being a rollercoaster ride. At times it's reminiscent of Ghostwatch (1992) in the way it toys with its premise, along with its format conventions. This give Deadstream a more indelible charm compared to some of its other peers. Also, it's worth bearing in mind that this the first enjoyable film to feature an internet personality/influencer that did not annoy ruin the film in any way.

Deadstream's biggest advantage over similar haunted house flicks is the character, Shawn himself. Can't speak for anyone else, but watching a completely shallow, internet personality being terrorised by the undead is hilarious. His dumb logic in facing his fears is delightfully entertaining. At times, he reminds me of Carl Kolchak and Ash Williams with the way he completely pussies out, but repeatedly attempts to confront the supernatural in his idiosyncratic way. Shawn also happens to be really self-aware; especially after getting cancelled, so he tries not to use any foul language while being abused by the evil dead as he's equally scared of losing his sponsors. One cool, but ridiculous detail I like about Shawn is him playing creepy synth music on a tape player for ambience. As if wondering around in a delapidated abandoned building in the middle of the woods wasn't enough for the fear factor. Shawn's interaction with his chatroom is another huge positive aspect in the film; he's ridiculed, trolled and at times given invaluable help by them. This helps the film progress and stay fresh.

Found-footage films have been around for yonks and despite no longer being in vogue, their relative cheap production marks them as a firm favourite for many aspiring film makers. It's birthed a lot of crap because of this, so whenever a genuinely good entry in the format happens to come along, it's worth celebrating. It certainly looks like a cheap production; the set looks like it was shot in a crack house, which makes this all the more atmospheric while watching it in complete darkness.

Discovered the Winters from their short film, To Hell And Back; which was part of Shudder's horror anthology V/H/S/99 (2022). It was the highlight in an otherwise forgettable portmanteau. Made a note of them and was rewarded with Deadstream being a low-budget gem more precious than any cubic zircona.

Egg's Gon' Give It To Ya

Hatching (Hanna Bergholm, 2022)

Always refreshing when blindly (not literally) going into a movie you know absolutely nothing about and it works its charms upon you. Hanna Bergholm's Finnish body horror, Hatching aka Pahanhautoja is one such example. A dark fairytale that tells how a young girl finds a mysterious egg which shatters the illusionary world created by her self-absorbed vlogger mother.

We're introduced to Tinja, our young lead, who suppresses her personal feelings and desires to please her horribly overbearing and passively aggressive mother. Known simply as Mother, this is the film's real antagonist - a vlogger who paints this idyllic fantasy to her followers, without realising the profound affect it's had on Tinja and the rest of the family. This includes a bratty and spoilt little brother, Mattias, and her father being an acquiescent cuckold. Siiri Solalinna, who plays Tinja is superb in this; all the more extraordinary whenever a child actor carries a film, without resorting to over-acting, subsequently breaking all immersion. Props to her for that.

My first thought while watching this film was just how beautiful it looked. Not just in terms of its cinematography, but the set and costume design, too. Flowers are a recurring motif throughout the picture; ranging from the common garden variety to floral patterns of them obtrusively adorning walls and clothing. They're obviously symbolic here, much like the egg that Tinja finds and helps to incubate. From it growing disturbingly larger every time Tinja feels emotionally burdened, to its eventual hatching.

Once the egg hatches, we're greeted by this grotesque avian hatchling, which has this instant psychic emotional bond with Tinja. The creature looks really great; like something from produced in Jim Henson's workshop while on a bad acid trip. As Tinja and the hatchling named Alli, bond further and further, you begin to see the latter evolve into a more human creature. Signing off from there as far as plot details go, because of spoilers, but I will say the relationship between Tinja and Alli really is wonderfully weird. It's has an endearing Roald Dahl vibe about it, which kept me invested in the film throughout. 

In what's realistically a creature-feature, Alli is but an avatar of Tinja's emotions, and the film's real villain is Tinja's mother. The matriarch being a perfectionist forces her temperament onto her family, while projecting this "idyllic" lifestyle to her followers though her volog updates. It's an unhappy existance for Tinja, forced to train as a gymnast, to keep mother happy. This results in long physical training and emotional suppression, that leaves her often feeling alone and struggling to form friendships with her peers.

What makes Bergholm's film such a success to me is the intelligent writing and well tuned pacing, which keeps the film inviting and never grinds to a halt. The beautiful fairytale visual aesthetic is both mesmerising and altogether refreshing from the drab looking industrial look which feels synonymously found in many modern horror films. Last, but not least, is Solalinna's superb performance; especially her interactions with Alli, which marks this as a winning a film for me. Very impressive debuts from both Bergholm and Solalinna.