Deadstream Movie Review

Name: Deadstream

Director: Joseph Winter and Vanessa Winter

Starring: Joseph Winter, Melanie Stone

Year Released: 2022

Runtime: 1 hour and 27 minutes

Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV

Review:

Husband and wife Joseph and Vanessa Winter team up to write, direct, and produce a hilarious horror comedy.

Joseph plays as Shawn, a famous internet star who’s runs his channel Wrath of Shawn. A montage shows Shawn doing stunts and pranks such as desert racing and harassing cops. However, Shawn’s antics get him into trouble, and he starts losing sponsors.

But he gets the chance to make a comeback by exploring a haunted house. According to Shawn’s research many deaths occurred in the house and a ghost named Mildred still resides there.

Shawn proves paranormal investigating isn’t his forte as he easily becomes spooked at the slightest noise. His womanly screams is one of the funniest running gags throughout the film.

As Shawn’s investigation streams, his followers increase and his bombarded with a fan messages. The comments range from heckling to wishes of good luck. But Shawn’s fans come through for him when strange stuff begins to happen.

Shawn’s fears get the best of him as he realizes he’s not alone in the house. But it’s not just the spirits. His investigation is interrupted by a woman named Chrissy, who is his biggest fan and followed him to the house.

While Shawn’s first instinct is to kick Chrissy out, he lets her stay after fans voice their support for her. Chrissy proves to be a great help as she and Shawn discover clues about Mildred and try to contact her spirit. However, it soon becomes apparent that Chrissy isn’t who she claims to be.

Mildred’s ghost finally makes her presence known and wreaks havoc on Shawn. A frightened Shawn must decide whether to flee or stay and fight the spirit.

Deadstream offers the perfect combination of fright and humor that's rare to find with most horror comedies these days. The set and special effects gave it that spooky feel, and a few times you'll jump out of your seat.

With the humor, the writers don't hold back. Shawn is the type of character, who says and does what he wants in spite of offending people. There are a few jokes that people may deem insensitive, but it adds to the appeal of Shawn's character and the story.

Joseph Winter does a fantastic job portraying Shawn, who's someone you want to smack for his obnoxiousness, but also root for. Winter's slapstick comedy as Shawn runs and fights off the spirit is hilarious. One of the best scenes is when Shawn jumps out a window while being chased by a ghost.

Winter's partner in the film Melanie Stone is fantastic. Stone does a great job of portraying Chrissy's cute and quirky, yet mysterious side. She and Winter have great chemistry as Shawn and Chrissy's different personalities clash. Although Shawn tries to act like an alpha male, Chrissy proves to be a force to be reckoned with.

The film hooks you from the start with its quick jokes. It dwindles a bit the first 10 minutes Shawn's in the house. He spends most of the time setting up his equipment and talking to his followers about the house's history. But once the action picks up and it's a wild, hilarious spooktacular ride.

This is a terrifying exceptional film from the Winters, who've made names for themselves in the horror genre. Hopefully, there will be more horror comedies from the husband-and-wife duo in the future, because they created a hit with Deadstream.

Rating: 4 stars