The trailer for Joe Keery’s dark social media satire Spree dropped earlier today. The Stranger Things actor stars as a social media obsessed rideshare driver who decks the inside of his car with action cameras as part of his plan to become infamous by livestreaming his rampage as “#thelesson”.
Premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the film stars Keery, best known for playing Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, as rideshare driver and aspiring internet superstar Kurt Kunkle as he aims to go viral by livestreaming the kidnapping and torture of his passengers. And he’s set his sights on online comic Jessie Adams, played by stand-up comedian Sasheer Zamata.
In preparation for the role, Keery and writer/director Eugene Kotlyarenko shot several social media posts in character imitating various YouTube trends such as unboxing videos, shopping hauls, and vape reviews. The pair also spent hours watching and examining influencers such as the controversial Logan Paul.
Kotlyarenko said in an interview with Deadline that Spree was pitched by co-writer Greg McHugh as a killer rideshare driver movie, but it didn’t come together until they hit upon the social media angle. “We seized upon the idea of making it a critique of the attention economy and everyone’s desperation to be validated on social media and stuff,” he said.
While found footage horror films aren’t new , Spree looks like an interesting and timely spin on the format. At a time when viral fame has never been so easy to achieve for better or worse, this could be a no holds barred commentary about the kind of person who broadcasts their every mundane thought. And it looks like Keery’s performance as a cheery socially awkward sociopath could be a winner.
Spree is aiming for a theatrical release on August 14th.
Source: YouTube
