This trio of flicks from Tubi use our obsession with modern technology as a launching pad for the horror. So are any of these films worth diving into? Let’s find out.
SWIPERIGHT (2020)
The description of this movie on IMDb—a young man lures and kills girls through a dating app—is quite a stretch. There’s approximately one swipe right moment in this whole movie, which is more of a cabin in the woods flick that drags on for about an hour before anything of significance happens.
A group of girls heads to a house in the woods to practice for some sort of dance competition…which leads to several montages of them rehearsing to a “you are my taco” song without even a sign of tongue-in-cheek intentions…or should I say tongue-in-taco?
One of the girls replies to a dating app profile, meets a sleazy guy who lives nearby and uses a fly-covered shed as a slaughterhouse, and then hooks up with him! And then…she disappears.
It can’t be that obvious, can it?
While the other girls are tightening up their taco act and also partying with some boys that show up, they begin finding dead crows around. We also get flashbacks to a young boy with serious social issues who was locked away in a mental institution.
This film feels like it is trying way too hard to be complex, while simultaneously offering vapid actions from the characters. 66 minutes in, a killer in a ski mask starts stalking people, killing some, and keeping others alive in a lair.
The action feels chaotic, unplanned, and amateurish. For instance, the house is dark, and a girl runs upstairs while being followed by one dude. She treads carefully right into the arms of the killer…and the dude at the bottom of the stairs keeps his face turned from what’s going on just five steps away so he can act like he didn’t see or hear any of it happening. I literally laughed out loud.
Just when you think it can’t get any more tedious, the killer gives a long-winded monologue to explain everything.
THE DEEP WEB: MURDERSHOW (2023)
I remember back at the beginning of the 2000s when the internet was fairly young, and the “dark web” was ripe for crafting movies to strike terror into the hearts of those becoming hooked on the online world. Unfortunately, those movies failed to take advantage of the fresh new technology in a way that actually delivered a fear fest.
Over 20 years later, this simple little film, while in no way terrifying, at least offers some cheap thrills, a teen horror vibe, creepy killers in masks, and a sprinkle of torture porn.
A cute true crime podcaster begins to investigate the death of his sister, which leads him to…the dark web.
Turns out there is a site where people can anonymously pay good money to decide the torturous fate and death of victims on a live feed.
This isn’t a Halloween focused movie, but there is a random scene where we can see from the décor in the main guy’s house that it is Halloween time.
There are also a few brief encounters with gay guys, one being the main guy’s neighbor, the other being a fan.
The film moves at a good pace, with the killers stalking and terrorizing the main guy as he and his friends get closer to cracking the case.
It’s the last fifteen minutes or so that deliver on the fun horror, as the main guy and his friends end up in cages in the killers’ lair and get chased by psychos in masks with very sharp weapons.
It’s the final scene that delivers the biggest punch, making a harsh statement about law enforcement in our society.
FOLLOW THE DEAD (2020)
Despite the title, zombies take a back seat to everything else in this Irish film. The first zombie and bite aren’t until 55 minutes in—and there aren’t many more zombies after that.
The general idea is that a dude, his family, and friends from a small town are all basically modern day slackers who are so jaded by “fake news” and fake online videos that they don’t believe—or don’t want to believe—that there has been a zombie outbreak in the big city and that they’re going to need to take action in life if they want to survive it.
What we mostly get is a dramatic-driven character study with an undercurrent of humor from two of the guys, but that sadly never rises to the surface.
It would have brought this generally dull film to life. Also of note is that there is a Christmas tree and some Christmas lights in the family’s house, but the holiday is never referenced.
There’s also social commentary sprinkled throughout as the town becomes fractured by those who believe and those who don’t believe that there actually is a zombie outbreak and possibly the end of the world is near. Interestingly, this clash leads to a home invasion sort of final act, with some zombies thrown in for good measure.
It’s a curious approach to a zombie/home invasion/horror comedy/smart horror hybrid that definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste.
