Spree is the kind of message-heavy film that reflects reality in its own messed up, occasionally satirical way. Kurt, a Gen Z dude, is desperate about going viral on his video-streaming account and decides to take things one step too far. He becomes the notorious "rideshare killer", nearly transitioning into a modern version of the American Psycho. Joe Keery is quite believable as the attention-seeking, social media madman with his faux enthusiasm. The supporting characters, except for stand-up comedian Jessie Adams (Sasheer Zamata) don't really stand out. The subplots involving them also aren't interesting. It all ultimately comes down to whether Kurt achieves the online fame (or in this case, notoriety) he seeks and the ruthless lengths he goes to for it.
This film tries to be too many things: it wants to offer commentary on the dangers of social media and the declining mental health of today's youth; it also wants to be a grisly slasher, sprinkled with dark humor and all that. Sadly, it doesn't succeed fully on either front. There's zero subtlety in the messaging. The storytelling is rapid and often settles for gory thrills in lieu of smartness. The camerawork is necessarily shaky, and at times, when the screen splits into two or three, it's difficult to decide where to even look. I just didn't like this film overall, although I can see that many did.
This film tries to be too many things: it wants to offer commentary on the dangers of social media and the declining mental health of today's youth; it also wants to be a grisly slasher, sprinkled with dark humor and all that. Sadly, it doesn't succeed fully on either front. There's zero subtlety in the messaging. The storytelling is rapid and often settles for gory thrills in lieu of smartness. The camerawork is necessarily shaky, and at times, when the screen splits into two or three, it's difficult to decide where to even look. I just didn't like this film overall, although I can see that many did.