Stream review
Beloved genre actors unite for Stream. A movie with a runtime that is…wait…how long?
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Stream
Directed by Michael Leavy
Written by Michael Leavy, Robert Privitera, Jason Leavy and Steven Della Salla
Starring Jeffrey Combs, Danielle Harris, Charles Edwin Powell, Sydney Malakeh, Wesley Holloway, Tim Reid and Tony Todd
Stream Review
The creative team behind Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2 are back with some gore and mayhem to tide you over until Terrifier 3 drops this October. Leone serves as a producer for Stream…as this team has for his own Terrifier 2 and 3. We loved Terrifier 2. It overcame a couple of issues that Stream also struggles with. Namely…it needed a tighter edit and family drama isn’t the movie’s narrative strong suit. Stream repeats those issues and can’t fully dig its way out the way Art the Clown and Sienna Shaw could. There is, however, plenty of fun to be had inside of Stream’s messed up game.
Like the Terrifier franchise before it…Stream excels at delivering wild and disgusting practical effects. If you catch the movie in its limited theatrical run this weekend…you’ll be treated to a post credits behind the scenes look at what the team is working on. The look at how they achieve some of these memorable gore effects are worth sticking around for. These are true fans of the genre living the dream and working out their craziest kills inside of original horror projects. Even if Stream doesn’t fully captivate you…you’ll leave the theater on a high after seeing the short video full of passion and talent.
The story in Stream involves a family of four who take a needed break from the real world. They find themselves (literally) trapped inside of a deadly game being streamed to people all over the world. They aren’t alone…everyone staying at their hotel are locked inside with four masked killers.
The practical effects are the highlight here. Some wonderful violence is unleashed on the hotel guests. Drills to the head…carved up chests…throat sawing. If you like to see grotesque, gory kills…Stream serves up an ample supply. Horror fans will also enjoy the number of familiar faces who pop onto the screen. Sometimes it’s a glorified cameo…a couple get more (no pun intended) meaty roles.
Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) and Danielle Harris (Halloween 4) get the most screen time among the genre favorites. They’re great, as always. Their presence covers some of the issues we’ll get to in a moment. Dee Wallace (The Howling), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Tony Todd (Candyman), Terry Alexander (Day of the Dead), Mark Holton (Leprechaun) and Daniel Roebuck (every Rob Zombie movie and the upcoming Terrifier 3) all get a moment or two to shine. Art the Clown himself (David Howard Thornton) plays one of the masked killers. You’ll know which one. He’s doing a fun variation on his best theme. If that isn’t enough, a mid-credit scene finds room for Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Terry Kiser (Friday the 13th The New Blood) and Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show).
There are enough familiar faces to keep interest in Stream going despite a few issues. Most importantly…the movie is too long. The central concept is a strong one. Nothing else Stream does is nearly as strong. The story begins with the Keenan family and their drama. It goes on too long and doesn’t do the characters any favors. For as good as this crew is at crafting amazing kills…they are limited at writing strong characters and dialog. This is where having Danielle Harris helps…but she can only do so much. Despite how long the movie is…most of the characters we meet are underwritten and forgettable. You don’t see that combination that often. It isn’t a good one.
The good news is that when Stream gets its killer game underway…it starts to win you over. Yes, it would be better if we cared more about the people getting slaughtered. Yes, it would be better if the fat was cut out and this was a leaner, meaner story. But there’s enough to enjoy from genre legend cameos to the best practical gore effects that you’ll find in independent horror that Stream’s positives inevitably win out. The script could have used another pass.
The editing could have been tighter. Fun will be had regardless. That’s the best way to describe Stream. It’s also how I described Terrifier 2. That movie overcame its issues by building an interesting mythology to play in. Stream makes a late game attempt to build one of its own. There is a tease of a hospital set sequel (delivered by the great Tony Todd) and that mid-credit scene just throws us into a brief scenario unfolding at a movie theater. There’s a larger world outside of the Stream we’re watching. If we get more stories in this universe…I’ll be there opening night. Problems be damned…this is a movie for the fans by people who know what really matters to them.
Scare Value
Stream is a tasty enough appetizer for the upcoming Terrifier 3. It’s longer than needed and struggles with anything outside of the hunt and kill plotline…but there’s enough of that for people to enjoy. It also has enough familiar faces to keep things lively. Throw in some excellent practical gore effects and it’s a surefire fit for a certain section of horror fans.
3/5
Stream Link
In theaters this weekend only – Fandango
