'Spree' Review: Buckle in For Joe Keery's Ride to Viral Stardom
The ‘Stranger Things’ star’s latest film will make you think twice before booking your next Uber.
Like most trends, found-footage films of the mid-2000s are back in style. Unsurprisingly, this may end up being something of the norm as the face of filmmaking changes post-COVID. By utilizing camera and lighting setups that are stationary or handled by the actors, studios can reduce the number of people on set. Recent films like Shudder’s “Host” (2020) and Netflix’s “Cam” (2018) have both done this to critical acclaim while the genre’s newest entry, “Spree,” is a fun journey that falls a little short.
“Spree” follows a day in the life of rideshare driver and wannabe social media influencer, Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery from “Stranger Things”) on his ride to viral stardom. With David Arquette (“Scream,” “Eight Legged Freaks”), and SNL alum Sasheer Zamata in the passenger seat, “Spree” takes a look at the allure of internet fame on the human psyche as told through social media.
From the start, the audience gets a sense of Kurt’s need to be famous through various YouTube videos and live-streamed social media feeds. If you have ever gone down a late-night YouTube rabbit hole, you will have likely come across someone like this. Keery is a master at creating uncomfortable and cringe-inducing encounters with his eagerness. Kurt’s constant failure motivates him to come up with a fool-proof plan that turns him into the scariest type of serial kill in the modern age.
The film doesn’t try to make Kurt a sympathetic character and pokes fun at his obsession by turning a mirror on the audience and their own social media obsessions via a standup set performed by Zamata. Almost none of the characters in this film could be classified as sympathetic. Everyone Kurt kills is instantly unlikeable. Their narcissism and addiction to their phones or social media presence makes them irredeemable and thus deserving of Kurt’s wrath. Even the only tolerable character cashes in their virality to stoke their own vanity.
Most recent found-footage films utilize webcams and camera phones. “Spree” does something similar but spices it up with GoPros mounted around the car so Kurt can get every possible angle for his stream. To tell the story, spanning over a couple of hours, the film jumps between YouTube videos, social media posts, and livestreams. It smoothly transitions landscape YouTube videos and GoPro feeds to vertical cell phone screens by implementing split screens so the audience can see multiple characters’ feeds or multiple angles of what is happening in Kurt’s car at once. As the film approaches its destination, it becomes overwhelming simultaneously streaming multiple feeds at once as comments begin to pour in detracting from the action happening elsewhere. However, the chaotic nature of this constant stream of confirmation bias does successfully build tension.
If you’re looking for a bloody slasher or a nonstop edge of your seat thriller, you might want to cancel this ride. “Spree” doesn’t show a majority of its kills and the ones it does hide a majority of the carnage. While there are a handful of truly thrilling moments, “Spree’s” pacing, unfortunately, grinds any real tension to a complete stop. What begins with frenetic flashbacks to some of Kurt’s previous videos, quickly pumps the brakes after this Uber driver from hell claims his first victim. It’s only until the final fifteen minutes that “Spree” gear shifts into insanity.
When exiting the vehicle, “Spree” isn’t a five-star ride, but the driver was entertaining to talk to and played some insane music. [B-]