Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Joe Keery, Sasheer Zamata, David Arquette, Kyle Mooney, Mischa Barton
Intro:
...you’ll probably like Spree, but maybe won’t feel the need to hit that subscribe button.
Social media is a hideous, nightmarish blight upon humanity. Whether it be the endless, censorious performative purity tests of Twitter, the unchecked political bullshit volcano of Facebook or the vacuous, othering narcissism of Instagram: it’s all ghastly. That said, it can make for intriguing, provocative films. The Social Network (2010) is, of course, one of the big boys, but even smaller efforts like Unfriended (2014), Nerve (2016) and Searching (2018) have succeeded to varying degrees. And now we have Spree, a movie about a social media obsessed rideshare driver who will do literally anything to go viral and the result is a decent, albeit patchy, little flick.
Spree tells the sad tale of Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery), a stunningly unsuccessful streamer who desperately wants to be internet famous. One day something snaps in the young man and he decides to Livestream a very unique rideshare experience he calls “The Lesson”. This particular lesson, however, is one that’s going to leave a significant bodycount as Kurt learns one surefire way to “grow his audience” is by thinning out the population.
Spree’s story isn’t wildly original, it’s essentially a social media riff on movies like Taxi Driver (1976) or The King of Comedy (1982), but where it shines is in the presentation. Shot via the numerous cameras in Kurt’s car, various phones, security footage etc., it really underlines how constantly under surveillance we all are without ever stating it bluntly. Joe Keery is another tremendous asset, giving a sweaty, desperate, sinister performance that is a far cry from the confident, cocky Steve Harrington you know from Stranger Things. This is genuinely effective stuff, and Keery has proven he has impressive range.
The problem is, by the third act, Spree has shown you all of its tricks and doesn’t quite know how to end, limping to a conclusion that feels at odds with the take-no-prisoners, blackly comedic tone of the rest of the flick. It’s by no means a deal breaker, but to put it in social media terms: you’ll probably like Spree, but maybe won’t feel the need to hit that subscribe button.
Releasing in limited cinemas October 8, and also October 8 – November 11 releasing on PVOD with Foxtel
November 25 – releasing on digital: iTunes, Youtube Movies, Fetch, Microsoft Store, Google Play
