‘Stream’ Review – A Whimsical Murder Spree Featuring A Cast Of Horror All-Stars
Stream is a slasher horror film about a hotel in Pennsylvania known as The Pines. Unbeknownst to the guests who are checking in, the hotel has been locked down and taken over by a group of four masked serial killers (Players 1-4) competing to see who can get the most kills and who can add the most flair to their kills. The kills are broadcast over an internet feed where users can bet on who they think will win and who will survive.
Co-written and directed by Michael Leavy, the film follows the Keenan family trying to get away for a weekend. The Keenan family includes a technologically deficient dad named Roy (Charles Edwin Powell), a reasonably strict mom named Elaine (Danielle Harris, Halloween 4), an 11-year-old video game streamer and novice hacker son named Kevin (Wesley Holloway), and their 17-year-old daughter Taylor (Sydney Malakah) who seems to want to be anywhere other than with her family.
From the producers of the Terrifier films, Stream is loaded with a ton of recognizable talent from the horror genre. Stream has cameos from Dee Wallace (The Howling), Dave Sheridan (Scary Movie), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Tony Todd (Candyman), Bill Moseley (House of 1000 Corpses), and Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show). Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) also has a major role as the hotel manager Mr. Lockwood while David Howard Thornton (Terrifier) appears as Player 2.
Stream works surprisingly well with a story that goes in unexpected directions and acting that is mostly satisfying. Jeffrey Combs is one of the only actors who can ramble like Mojo Jojo from The Powerpuff Girls and leave you hanging on to every word he articulates. Combs eats up every line that’s given to him.
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Without saying a word or seeing his face, David Howard Thornton gives off major Art the Clown vibes here. The main difference is his body language as Player 2 is much more flamboyant. Every move he makes is a theatrical performance. Art has this playful nature that turns vengeful in the blink of an eye. Player 2 is giddy with his kills. He skips, dances, and frolics with his victims because this is his favorite game.
Damien Leone (creator of the Terrifier franchise) is the special makeup effects coordinator for Stream. Leone brings a love for gooey effects and creative kills to a film already bursting with talent. The kills aren’t nearly as gruesome as what Leone is typically known for, but there are still some memorable fatalities here.
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An arcade joystick is smashed into someone’s eyeball, someone’s nose is torn off by floral pruners, a corkscrew is used in a part of the body you’re probably not expecting, there’s a nasty barbed wire throat cut that is on the verge of decapitation, and you’ll never look at a game of tic-tac-toe the same way again.
An interesting aspect of the film is that the ending doesn’t follow up on who was killed or who survived, but it goes into detail about what the plans are for this stream. The story of the film has a few shocking moments and it’s not because of the gore. It’s that the film swerves into an unseen detour while venturing down an even darker path than the one it was already on.
Stream is not without its issues. It obviously has a very limited budget, it relishes in a glorified B-movie atmosphere, and it has a familiar storyline. But it’s also an eyeball-gouging, tongue-in-cheek treat for horror fans. It’s worth checking out if you enjoy Terrifier or the horror film genre.
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Stream (2024), Fuzz on the Lens Productions
PROS
- A ridiculously awesome cast
- Some solid kills
- Unexpected twists in story
CONS
- Is noticeably low budget at times
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