Livestream

Mia (Sara Moliski), her actor boyfriend Joss (Mao Sun), and influencer friends Thomas (James Michael Cowan), Pedro (Victor Soares) and Cindy (Tiffany Dennis) are all bound for rented retreat at which they will take part in a livestream event set to bring in millions of viewers plus additional followers to their respect social media personas. But that’s where the road ends and horrors begin in Victor Soares’s intriguingly watchable Livestream.

Once you get past the awkward bombast and perpetual saccharine-coated characters that influencers seem to flaunt, the group and the story build themselves up to an experience that will change their lives and enthrall all those locked into sharing their experience.

After a brief yet tense encounter on the road, courtesy of backwoods law enforcement, the group reaches the location for the epic event; the property loaned to the by the Chapman family: Lindsay (Nika Khitrova), Anthony (Anthony Moore) and Liza (Savannah Schakett). Liza is shy and unassuming, but she’s a loyal follower and devotee of Mia, thus the fact that her favorite content creator is hanging out in her house is a dream come true.

With the setting glorious and energy high, Mia is forced to duck away to relieve herself. That’s when things happen. A rock is thrown through the window as Mia exits the bathroom, scaring her completely and putting a dent in her unsinkable status. But the Chapmans assure the group that it is probably just local misanthropes drawn to the location via news of the stream. Soon after, all seems fine, and the broadcast continues.

“…a prank that rocks everyone’s foundations…”

So, the friends carry on as influencers do. Being a warped yet whimsical cocktail of comedy mixed with flaring emotional outbursts, blended with manufactured authenticity. Thomas becomes the aggressor and a momentary antagonist, driving the narrative on with his antics, which culminate in a prank that rocks everyone’s foundations, especially when his ruse is revealed.

But the misplaced revelry is short-lived when Thomas winds up dead and the entire event is plunged in chaos. Each character’s trust, loyalty and courage are tested as the number of views tuning into the stream serves as the ticking clock, with all paths leading to terrifyingly tragic reveals which will make his stream one for the ages. But will any of the group survive to enjoy the notoriety?

Like another film that moved along with efficiency and energy in its storytelling, primarily related to the lack of cuts, Cristian Tapia Marchiori’s Gunman (Gatillero), Victor Soares’s Livestream builds and builds as the participants are placed into peril and under suspicion as the evening’s body count climbs with the number of folks watching on. Capped with solid performances, smart and trending dialogue, together with a twist and climax you won’t see coming, Livestream takes TikToking and brilliantly renders it shocking.

Will Mia and her friends survive the stream? Watch and wonder as their laughter turns to screams. Behold as their public personas come apart at the seams. All in the name of higher social standing and celebrity dreams. Tune in, if you dare. There’s a party in the house, and a killer’s aware.