Short Horror Reviews: Social Media Scares

Leave Meeting:

With the COVID pandemic launching the video conferencing program into popularity, I figured it would only make sense to start this list with two short horror films taking place during a Zoom call. Rebecca Cascade (Cheryl Bricker) is preparing for a virtual therapy session with her client Karen (Amy Scribner). But the doctor is in for a surprise when she finds Karen's abusive ex Carl (Jonathan Grey) on the other end of the meeting instead. With the verbal standoff between Rebecca and Carl taking up most of the movie's runtime, Leave Meeting's pace is of the leisurely variety. As tensions grow and revelations are made, you might think you know where the story's going after a few minutes.

But in the final stretch, some twists are thrown into the mix. Not only are they genuinely surprising, they also allow Leave Meeting to end on a highly cathartic note. Jonathan Grey does well as a flippantly unrepentant batterer and Cheryl Bricker brings energy to Rebecca's emotions as she goes from angry to terrified when Carl begins pushing her buttons. SPOILER ALERT Amy Scribner similarly throws herself into Karen's righteous fury as she denounces Rebecca for taking advantage of her and being willing to kill her to cover her tracks. As such, it's all the more empowering when Karen takes down both of her abusers at the same time. Spoilers Over While the first six minutes of this Zoom call drama might have you feeling listless, the plot twists and final revelation make it worth your while not to sign out early.

Score: 6 out of 10 has-been book tours.

Zoom Cloud Hack #91784 The Tribe Murders:

Working from home due to Quarantine, a group of advertising executives meets via Zoom conference for a "Work Hang" session. Little do they know that a deadly visitor is about to join them. Right off the bat, something that stands out about Zoom Cloud Hack #91784: The Tribe Murders is how authentic the characters feel. From Susie Castillo's Sadie to Mark David Christenson's Mikal, the group's playful camaraderie feels consistently real. It's another slow build to get to the scares, so it's a good thing that the co-worker antics are more entertaining than the extended confrontation from Leave Meeting.

Once everything hits the fan, the frights and exposed secrets strike hard and fast. While the digitalized gore effects aren't very good, the design for the aforementioned "deadly visitor" is decent. Props to Stephanie Salyers for her work playing the murderous creature. SPOILER ALERT The third-act plot twist is well-executed, with Rachael Thompson and Susie Castillo giving great performances as a pair of duplicitous characters. Thompson is deceptively charming as Mena, giving credence to her character's status as a manipulative sociopath. Castillo does the same as the morally nuanced Sadie. While there's subtle evidence of Sadie's involvement in Mena's plan to kill everyone, her reaction to Oren's death makes you wonder how committed to "The Tribe" she really is. Spoilers Over Well-acted and filled with scares, The Tribe Murders is an intense screencast horror that's sure to make you jump more than a few times.

Score: 8 out of 10 copywriting gigs.

Unfriended: Proxy:

Now to look back at the video-call program that got its thunder stolen by Zoom throughout the pandemic: Skype. It's an average night for Sam (Ben Grant) and his friend Ed (Edward Hudec) as they game together over Skype. But when an uninvited presence enters the call, the night takes a terrifying turn. In truth, the only terrifying thing about Unfriended: Proxy is how bad it is. This film and The Tribe Murders both focus on a video call among friends going gruesomely awry, with Unfriended: Proxy fashioning itself as a pseudo-sequel to the 2014 horror movie that shares part of its title. References and parallels to the original film and its 2018 sequel can be easily found by a keen viewer.

The problem is that, on top of being a ripoff, Unfriended: Proxy is horrifically boring. The Tribe Murders and Leave Meeting might've been deliberately paced, but this movie is a slog from start to finish. The film even opens with an unnecessary minute of Ed playing Minecraft while listening to the Bee Gees (a scene that is muted in the version I watched, presumably due to YouTube copyright rules). While the conversations in The Tribe Murders felt real and kept your interest, Sam and Ed's dialogue is dull and frequently feels completely unnatural. And while it seemed like the crew was going for a horror-comedy vibe, none of the "jokes" are actually funny. But to be fair, it's not like they're given any aid from the actors. Apart from Ben Grant becoming slightly more entertaining once Sam realizes what's happening is serious, neither he nor Edward Hudec put much emotion into their performances. So between the awful acting and the terribly paced/written story, Unfriended: Proxy is a film that earns its friendless status.

Score: 1.5 out of 10 shark onesies.

Chad Gets the Axe:

For the next three movies, this list is stepping into the world of online stardom. Looking to finally get a million views, vlogger Chad Ryan (Spencer Harrison Levin) is doing a livestream at the infamous William Burrows murder cabin. Will reaching that milestone cost Chad his life? Tune in to see! Inspired by the controversy that surrounded Logan Paul's infamous Suicide Forest video, Chad Gets the Axe is an accurate depiction of social media toxicity. Chad Ryan is an effective Logan Paul expy, with Spencer Harrison Levin giving him all the necessary idiotic bravado without going overboard. What's even more on-point is the behavior of Chad's viewers. There are all the expected types: the die-hard super fans, the advertising bots, and the "haters" calling Chad out for exploiting murder for clout.

But over the course of the stream, Chad's haters become much worse than him. While Chad may be an arrogant douche, Levin plays him in a way where you can tell that he's not some unfeeling monster. When Chad's livestream segues into a fight for his life, it's hard not to feel bad for the guy when he drops his over-the-top persona and pleads for help--only for his fans to mock and dismiss him. Considering these people are hardly any better for watching Chad desecrate a murder site (with one of them even sending him the always inexcusably repulsive "go kill yourself" taunt), you won't share in the viewers' sentiment that Chad is getting what he deserves.

This stark look at the cruel side of Internet culture is arguably scarier than the main story. From reading the synopsis, you're likely to piece the plot together before Chad even enters the murder house. It's all standard slasher movie scares and Chad briefly continuing his goofy commentary after he realizes he's in serious danger is unbelievable. Still, the quick pacing and moderately likable lead work in tandem with the realistic depiction of problematic fandoms to make Chad Gets the Axe as enjoyable as it is socially conscious.

Score: 7 out of 10 McDonald's bags.

Tingle Monsters:

And now for a movie that acts as the day to Chad Gets the Axe's night. Both films follow a streamer as they wind up in a chilling situation, but the streamers in question are polar opposites. While Chad Ryan was a vapid jerk, Tingle Monsters' Dee (Alexandra Serio) is nothing short of angelic. Her content is super positive, the love she has for her fans is adorable, and she exudes wholesome "kindergarten teacher energy" from beginning to end--even when dealing with trolls. Those who are into ASMR are sure to enjoy the first few minutes of Tingle Monsters, as Alexandra Serio does an excellent job playing a believably popular ASMR vlogger. Serio will instantly capture your heart as Dee, making it hit all the harder when she ends up in a harrowing ordeal. And unlike Chad, it's an ordeal Dee has no hand in bringing upon herself.

Before that, the razor-sharp tension of Tingle Monsters keeps you on high alert. The quiet atmosphere will have you waiting for the first sign of trouble, which comes at the worst possible moment for Dee. By the time the climax hits, your nerves will be fried. In a similar vein to Chad Gets the Axe, Tingle Monsters explores how toxic fanbases can become. In addition to the blatant sexism that infiltrates her stream, there are the less-than-considerate actions of some of Dee's fans. Some hound her for taking a break from her content to focus on her move. Others give her a hard time for deleting her social media after ending an implied-to-be-abusive relationship. SPOILER ALERT Most damningly, though, is how after Dee subdues her would-be murderer, her comments are all from people bashing her and accusing her of faking the assault for "attention." In a clever bit of symbolism, Dee's life is put in danger because a lewd bully's harassment causes her to temporarily turn off her chatline to decompress, leaving her viewers unable to warn her about the intruder (played by Kareem Rahma). Spoilers Over

If the title character from Chad Gets the Axe bugged you too much for you to enjoy the movie, Tingle Monsters is right up your alley. It has a talented star playing a more sympathetic character, the tension is more palpable, and the ending is just as impactful. Just prepare your senses for a relaxing ASMR sesh that gets interrupted by something worse than bad Wi-Fi.

Score: 10 out of 10 makeup brushes.

We Follow You:

In the not-so-distant future of 2023, a nationwide social media shutdown has put influencer Jane (Zeta Morrison) in a real bind. First, she lost the platform that made her career possible, and now, she's being terrorized by her ravenously obsessed fans! Can she and her boyfriend Dennis (David Alan Madrick) survive the onslaught? Of the three influencer-helmed short films on this list, We Follow You is the weakest. The social media shutdown angle may've had some potential, but it all gets wasted in the hands of a short runtime and a plot that's kept confined to Jane's house.

The film fails to be scary or darkly comedic and the script's attempts at making a statement about influencer culture are exceedingly unsubtle. In fact, I'm not even sure what statement Brandon Espy was trying to make with that final scene. Regardless of what he was going for, We Follow You's finale is just as bland as the rest of the movie. While the influencers from the past two films were interesting characters you felt something for, Zeta Morrison's Jane has a generic name to match her nondescript personality. Morrison and her co-star David Alan Madrick give mediocre performances, though considering the script they had to work with, I'd say they were doing the best they could. While it may not be as excruciatingly dull as Unfriended: Proxy, We Follow You is still a lifeless movie that leaves its story to rot like the corpses scattered around Jane's blood-stained home.

Score: 3 out of 10 laundry room tourniquets.

Fragile.com:

After getting her heart broken by a crush, Mara (Carly Stewart) finds herself alone with her tears. That is until she attracts the attention of Tom Duco (Colin Woodell), a charming film director who praises Mara's beauty and casts her in his latest project. To Mara's surprise, that project is a cam site dedicated to girls livestreaming themselves crying for viewers. It's quite ironic that I reviewed an Unfriended knockoff earlier in this list now that I'm taking a look at a movie featuring Colin Woodell--who was the star of Unfriended: Dark Web a year before Fragile.com was released. Woodell was great as good guy Matias O'Brien and is just as great playing Tom Duco, someone who acts like a good guy to mask his true intentions. You'll know Duco is bad news as soon as you see him, but you'll also understand why Mara would fall for the guy.

Opposite Woodell is the newer-to-acting Carly Stewart. Apart from one moment when her emotional delivery doesn't click, Stewart gives a great performance as an awkward and insecure teenager. From her shaky tone to her eagerness whenever Duco showers her with praise, Mara will be a relatable character for anyone who is (or once was) a young person with self-esteem issues. The movie takes you on a slow, unsettling ride as Mara is groomed by Duco into becoming a "Fragile.com girl." While Duco's support and the easy money she's making gives Mara a temporary confidence high, it's short-lived as she begins losing herself to Duco and his questionable business. While the glitch effect used to visualize this loss was a little much, you will feel for Mara as Duco exploits her desperate need to be loved for his own gain.

The script tells a simple but powerful story about exploitation and how predatory people operate, with a few well-crafted scenes sprinkled in to provide foreshadowing for the film's quietly somber ending. Fragile.com may not have demons or homicidal zombies, but it's still scary in how much it reflects the reality of manipulation, betrayal, and what happens when a vulnerable person gets screwed over too many times.

Score: 9 out of 10 roller rink milkshakes.

Unusual Attachment:

Much to the mockery of his friend Mateo (Francisco Chacin), Hunter (Ben Baur) is spending his Saturday night cruising through a Chatroulette-type website. He formed a real bond with a guy he recently met through the site, and now, he's hoping to find him again. What Hunter is about to find, though, is far more than what he bargained for. Tagged as both a comedy and a horror movie on IMDB, Unusual Attachment leans much heavier towards the former genre. Most of the film is spent on Hunter's attempts to rediscover his missed connection. The horror aspect doesn't appear until the final few minutes, and to be frank, the scary thing that Hunter finds on Man Bingo (yes, that's the name of the fictionalized Chatroulette clone) isn't anything unique. Not only that, but it comes into play so late in the game that there's no time for the viewer to be scared of it and what it does.

At least most of the acting keeps the comedic first half watchable. Ben Baur's Hunter is an affable lead and the people he comes across on Man Bingo are modestly funny. Danny Plotner is sure to give you a few chuckles as camboy Cam and Felissa Rose's cameo as Hunter's wacky aunt Sharon is hilarious. What isn't hilarious is Francisco Chacin's slightly painful performance as Mateo. His annoyingly forced acting of equally forced banter gets close to the point of becoming grating. Also, whereas Hunter is a balanced portrayal of a gay man, Mateo dives headfirst into the Camp Gay stereotypes. Hunter takes a milder dip in likability because of a plot hole that emerges from his actions: for someone so determined to reconnect with someone he "really felt something for," he sure wastes a lot of time chatting up a bunch of strangers.

Even with the compelling cast, Unusual Attachment is still only a so-so short film. It offers average comedy in its first half and stagnant scares in its second. A mid-credits scene even pops in to rob the film of its chance to end with an impactful bit of Fridge Horror. If you decide to give this film a chance, don't expect anything as memorable as that time in middle school when you went on Omegle and saw your first penis (didn't happen to me, but I'm sure that comparison will speak at least one person reading this...)

Score: 5 out of 10 Gilmore Girls reruns.

Namoro Virtual (Online Dating):

Back to the realm of Skype, except this time, the conversation is in Portuguese. With Ariane (Luciana Ultramari) having recently moved to a new apartment for work, she and her boyfriend Vinicius (Felipe Rico) have turned to video chatting to keep in touch. But one night, Ariane forgets to turn off her webcam before she goes to bed--and what Vinicius sees shocks him. Being just shy of 3 minutes, Namoro Virtual doesn't have room to dawdle. As such, the story the film tells is a simple one and the actors don't have time for their performances to become irritating. Nothing noteworthy comes from either Luciana Ultramari or Felipe Rico's performance. The romantic chemistry between Ariane and Vinicius is practically nonexistent, but the film's direction and short length are just as much to blame for that as their actors are. The story is where most of Namoro Virtual's problems lie. The climax plays out in the oddest way thanks to Ariane's unexplainable behavior.

WARNING: Spoilers Below

Ariane thinking Vinicius is shouting at her in the middle of the night over her looking at a guy at the subway? I can kind of buy that on the grounds of her being sleep-deprived. What I can't buy is how calm she is about waking up to her boyfriend screaming insults and accusations at her. You'd think she'd be asking how he even got on her computer, considering she presumably didn't know she'd left her webcam on. She even remains calm when she thinks there's an intruder in her apartment. The whole supernatural twist also bugs me because earlier events (Ariane getting a bunch of texts while talking to Vinicius, acting jumpy like she's expecting someone to show up) would've aligned better with Ariane being exposed as a cheater. The film could've done that and had a supernatural twist, and the script could've been clever about it. For example: have the entity be a direct result of Ariane's affair. The murderous spirit could even serve as a metaphor for what could happen if you try to keep a doomed relationship alive. But Namoro Virtual does none of that, instead opting for a cliché twist that leads into an even more cliché "jump scare" ending.

Spoilers Over

While it's a shame how much potential went unused with this short film, Namoro Virtual stays a level above We Follow You. The movie goes by quick enough to make for an adequate watch while stuck in a waiting room or during a horror movie marathon commercial break. For those moments and any similar circumstances, Namoro Virtual is currently available on YouTube and Tubi to help curb your boredom.

Score: 4 out of 10 bus rides to Vergueiro.

Selfie Pride:

Now to end this list on a lighter note with an offering from Crypt TV. This horror-comedy follows a nurse (played by Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan) as she enters the "Selfie Pride challenge" for the chance of getting a million followers overnight. How far will she go to win? You won't have to wait long to find out. Barely a minute long, Selfie Pride is one of Crypt TV's bite-size horror flicks. Its premise is as uncomplicated as that of an SNL sketch and ends in exactly the way you expect. But it's a breezy tale about the lengths people will go to for online fame and Olivia Jordan has the facial expressiveness needed to silently play a beautiful social media addict. In the age of potentially lethal TikTok trends, the premise behind this short has remained timely in the three years since it was released. So while it's nothing special story-wise, Selfie Pride still makes for a worthy finale to this cyber horror list.

Score: 6 out of 10 loyal user bases.

Overall:

The films on this Halloween list hit almost every zone on my rating scale. The only number to go untouched is 2. Sandwiched between two 6s, we have spectacular movies containing suspense and true-to-life horrors like Tingle Monsters and Fragile.com. There are also movies that aren't as frightening or morbidly funny as they wanted to be like Unfriended: Proxy and We Follow You. At least the effective movies outweigh the duds, like a bag of candy that's 75% Reese's Cups and 25% other candies that wish they were Reese's Cups. Now that I've revealed what my favorite Halloween treat is, go grab your own and check out some of these spooky tales of technological terror in honor of October 31st.