It’s always fun to see genre flicks tackling the high-tech horrors of modern times, and with social media providing us with a brand new playground for digital scares, the possibilities are endless. That’s why we’re excited for writer/director Adam Sherman’s upcoming satirical thriller This Game’s Called Murder, which promises to reveal the dark side of family, fortune and internet clout.
Starring the legendary Ron Perlman (Hellboy, The City of Lost Children), Natasha Henstridge (Species) and Vanessa Marano (Dexter), the film’s synopsis reads:
“Mr. Wallendorf, a fashion mogul and designer of iconic red high heeled shoes, Mrs. Wallendorf, his conniving brutal wife, and Jennifer Wallendorf, their daughter and a social media powerhouse who’s just trying to figure out love, friendship, and world dominance. The eccentric Wallendorf’s struggle to maintain the facade of a prominent successful family while their violent nature rips them apart.”
And to get you in the mood for Sherman’s film, which is coming to theaters and VOD on December 3rd, we’ve come up with this handy guide to Social Media Horror describing four kinds of online-savvy horror movies and the best examples in each category!
Naturally, this is only an introduction to these online thrills, so don’t forget to share your own favorite examples with us in the comments below. You can also participate in Bloody Disgusting’s Twitter Watch Party of This Game’s Called Murder this Friday.
1. Clout Chasing
Humans are biologically wired to react positively to social approval, so it makes sense that even virtual interactions are enough to convince our brains that we’re doing something right. Of course, some people can be driven to do terrible things in their pursuit of likes, shares and comments, so our first category describes movies where characters go too far in the name of digital acceptance. From annoying pranks to all-out murder, you never know how far internet users are willing to go for a modicum of clout.
Examples:
Spree (2020)
Starring Stranger Things’ Joe Keery (and also featuring the inimitable David Arquette), Spree tells the story of Kurt Kunkle, a rideshare app driver obsessed with becoming an online sensation. Willing to do anything to go viral, Kurt outfits his car with several cameras and begins to livestream a murder spree in this bonkers cautionary tale for the digital age.
Tragedy Girls (2017)
High School has always been tough, but with the added chaos of social media making adolescence even more stressful, it’s easy to understand why some teenagers would do anything for online popularity. Tyler MacIntyre’s highly entertaining Tragedy Girls takes this logic to the extreme by introducing audiences to McKayla Hooper (Alexandra Shipp) and Sadie Cunningham (Brianna Hildebrand), best friends who embark on a serial killing rampage in the hopes of attracting more followers to their True Crime blog.
2. Digital Psychopaths
The internet has made it infinitely easier for people to connect, but the unlimited access to personal data comes at a cost. Less-savory individuals can effortlessly use social media to stalk unsuspecting victims both online and in the real world. Whether they hail from the deep web or the house next door, online psychopaths are a very real threat and have inspired several thrilling genre flicks over the years.
Examples:
The Den (2013)
Randomized chatrooms are a great showcase of the internet’s connective power, but you never know when you’ll stumble onto something that you weren’t meant to see. In Zachary Donohue’s The Den, Elizabeth Benton (Melanie Papalia) witnesses a live murder while researching online chat users and finds herself in the middle of a snuff film conspiracy. Not only is the film a realistic take on online murder, but it’s also an effective piece of Screenlife horror.
Ratter (2015)
Some hackers are simply after monetary gain, but the scariest ones harbor a personal obsession with their targets. This fear is what inspired Branden Kramer’s 2015 thriller Ratter, named after the practice of remotely taking control of a digital device. Following an unsuspecting grad student as she becomes the target of a tech-savvy stalker, this Found Footage gem reveals how our over-reliance on technology can make us even more vulnerable.
3. Ghosts in the Machine
As times change so do our monsters, and if a house can be haunted, why not a website or an app? Cyberspace and social media may be relatively new additions to society, but there’s already a vast selection of stories featuring ghosts, demons and other supernatural entities taking over the digital realm.
Examples:
Unfriended (2014)
It’s estimated that over 30 million Facebook accounts belong to deceased users, and what could be more terrifying than receiving a message from one of these profiles? A creepy digital parable, Unfriended brilliantly taps into that fear by having a dead teenager’s social media presence continue to harass her so-called friends after a tragic suicide.
Cam (2018)
While it doesn’t involve a traditional haunting, Isa Mazzei & Daniel Goldhaber’s Cam is a genuinely unsettling supernatural thriller about an up-and-coming camgirl who finds her online identity stolen by a mysterious doppelganger. Featuring an eerie deep dive into the weird world of online sex work and the obsessed fans that keep this community alive, the supernatural elements are only a small part of what makes this such a chilling movie.
4. When Gaming Goes Wrong
Most folks turn to gaming to escape from the horrors of real life, but even our hobbies can be a source of turmoil in an interconnected world. From haunted videogames to sadistic online challenges, these movies feature characters that are forced to compete in deadly games for the entertainment of others.
Examples:
Livescream (2018)
With millions of viewers engaged in dedicated communities, videogame livestreaming is a bigger deal than most people seem to realize. That’s why I admire Livescream for tapping into this fascinating world and telling the story of a desperate player who’s forced to complete a haunted videogame or suffer the very real consequences.
Nerve (2016)
Inspired by real viral apps and online challenges, 2016’s Nerve explores what might happen if the latest trending app pushed its users to their limits. Starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco as a couple of teenagers embroiled in a high-stakes game of life-threatening dares, the film also boasts genuine insight into online trends due to its directors’ experience making Catfish.
Don’t forget to check out This Game’s Called Murder, available in theaters and VOD on December 3rd, 2021! On Friday, Bloody Disgusting is hosting a Twitter Watch Party. Join us!