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PRIVATE PROPERTY |
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WARNING: MATURE CONTENT |
- ❝ They logged in. He locked them in.❞
- ―Movie tagline
Scream.Com is a 2018 found-footage horror thriller film written and directed by Michael Chaves in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Brittany Allen, Daniel Spinnler, Helen Moneypenny, and Brendan Fletcher. Produced by S.B.M. Productions and XYZ Films, the film utilizes a real-time narrative structure told entirely through webcam feeds, security cameras, and smartphone screens.
Chaves cited the 1998 film Disturbing Behavior and the viral marketing campaign of The Blair Witch Project as primary influences on the film's aesthetic and tone. The film premiered on the streaming platform FalcoTalon on February 26, 2018. Upon release, Scream.Com received positive reviews from critics, who praised its tense atmosphere and innovative use of digital interfaces as a narrative device.
Plot[]
Traumatized by the horrific death of their friend, a group of friends gathers for a horror-themed Skype video chat to discuss their favorite scary movies. However, their nostalgic night turns into a nightmare when they are targeted by a terrifying hooded man seeking revenge for a death they covered up years prior. The couple at the center of the group must overcome their fears and disconnect from their digital lives to survive the night.
Synopsis[]
Two years ago, a group of friends—Sarah, Hugh, Connie, Shaun, and Polly—were involved in a hit-and-run accident that killed a young woman. They fled the scene, burying the secret and moving on with their lives.
In the present day, Sarah and Hugh are now a couple living together. To reconnect with their estranged friends, they organize a group video call via Skype to watch horror movies and catch up. Connie, Shaun, and Polly join the chat from their respective homes. The atmosphere is initially lighthearted, though tension simmers between them regarding their shared past.
During the call, the connection flickers. A mysterious user named "Vengeance_99" enters the chat, sending cryptic messages and distorted images. Thinking it is a prank, the group initially dismisses it. However, the intruder begins displaying intimate knowledge of their lives, referencing details only they would know. The screen goes black, and when it returns, the feed shows a live stream from an unknown location.
The friends realize their computers have been hacked; they cannot log off or disconnect. The intruder, a figure wearing a hooded mask and wielding a hunting knife, appears on their screens. He threatens to hunt them down one by one unless they admit to the murder of his sister, the woman they killed two years ago.
Hugh attempts to shut down his router, but the power in the house is cut. Outside, a car pulls up. Shaun, who had left the call briefly to get food, is attacked off-screen. His video feed flickers back on to reveal Shaun bleeding out, the hooded figure standing over him. The group is now terrified, realizing this is not a hack but a coordinated assault.
The killer uses the friends' webcams to track them. Connie barricades herself in her bathroom, but the killer manipulates her smart home devices, unlocking her door. Her feed cuts to static after a brief struggle. Polly, attempting to flee her apartment, is ambushed by the killer, who has bypassed her security system.
Back at Sarah and Hugh’s home, they board up the windows. They discover that the killer is not working alone; he has been tracking them via social media geotags. Sarah finds a live stream embedded in their browser history that shows the killer driving between the victims' locations, meaning he is close by.
Hugh decides to leave the house to seek help, but his car won't start. He is chased back inside by the hooded figure. The killer breaches the house, and Hugh and Sarah retreat to the attic. While hiding, Sarah accesses a hidden file on her laptop left by the killer. It contains a video confession recorded by the group the night of the accident, which they thought they had deleted. The killer had recovered it from a cloud backup.
The killer corners them in the attic. In a desperate struggle, Hugh manages to disarm the attacker, revealing the killer to be Ben, the brother of the woman they killed. Ben had manipulated their online lives to isolate them, cutting their power and internet to ensure they couldn't call for help while he moved between their houses.
Sarah, using her knowledge of the house, triggers a fire escape hatch, knocking Ben off balance. Hugh tackles Ben, but is stabbed. As Ben prepares to kill Sarah, she ignites a canister of hairspray with a lighter, creating a makeshift flamethrower that sets Ben’s mask and clothing on fire. Blinded, Ben stumbles back and falls through the rotting floorboards of the attic, crashing to the ground floor below.
Sarah rushes to Hugh, who is critically injured but alive. She calls 911 using her phone, which finally gets a signal as the police arrive. The film ends with the camera focused on Sarah’s laptop screen, where the "Vengeance_99" account remains active, displaying a final message: "The stream never ends."
Cast[]
- Brittany Allen as Sarah
- Daniel Spinnler as Hugh
- Helen Moneypenny as Connie
- Barry Benson as Shaun
- Elisabeth Hass as Polly
- Hannah Emily Anderson as Ashley
- Lily Montage as Maria
- Alexia Fast as Lori
- Brendan Fletcher as Ben
Production[]
Michael Chaves began developing the concept for Scream.Com in 2016, aiming to create a horror film that utilized modern technology as both a setting and a threat. Chaves stated in an interview with Bloody Disgusting that he wanted to "turn the user interface into a character itself," utilizing screen capture technology to create a claustrophobic atmosphere.
Principal photography took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, over a 25-day period. Because the film is presented as found footage, the camera crew utilized specialized rigs to capture computer monitors and smartphone screens without glare. The actors were often required to film their own scenes using webcams to ensure authenticity in their reactions. The film's visual effects team, led by Daren Wilson, designed the on-screen graphics, including the fictional "Vengeance_99" interface and the distorted video streams.
Soundtrack[]
The film's score was composed by Aria Prayogi, utilizing electronic and industrial sounds to mimic digital glitches and system errors. The soundtrack also features songs by The Misfits, Ice Nine Kills, and Talking Heads, as referenced in the film's promotional materials.
Release[]
Scream.Com had its world premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival on October 12, 2017. Following the premiere, digital distribution rights were acquired by FalcoTalon. The film was released on the platform on February 26, 2018. A limited physical release followed in May 2018, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and a director's commentary track.
Reception[]
Critical Response[]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 42 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The consensus reads: "A tense and inventive update on the home-invasion genre, Scream.Com exploits our digital dependencies to craft a uniquely modern thriller."
Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a B+, writing, "Chaves turns the computer screen into a canvas for terror, utilizing the blue light of monitors to chilling effect." writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarkye praised the performances of Allen and Fletcher, noting that "the film's real-time pacing creates an unbearably tense atmosphere."
Trivia[]
- Rated R for strong violence, terror, horror imagery, language throughout, and/or disturbing images involving bloody images.
- Moneypenny met actor Barry Benson on the set of the film before they eventually married.
- The film was shot entirely using webcam feeds, security cameras, and smartphone screens to maintain the found-footage aesthetic.
- Michael Chaves cited the 1998 film Disturbing Behavior and the viral marketing of The Blair Witch Project as primary influences.