Deadware

Great googly moogly, this was terrible. Not a single aspect of this film - not the acting, not the script, not the scares, not the period authenticity - were pulled off successfully.

The performances were a flatline. I haven't seen either of them in anything else, so they may be brilliant in other roles, just not in this film.

Not that they were given much to work with. You can't make an hour long horror movie based off 90s internet click-bait screamers and spoooooky meme images. Half the film consisted of this same exchange.

Character 1: This game is spooky.

Character 2: Yes, but let's keep going.

Character 1: No, I don't want to keep going.

Character 2: Yes, but let's keep going.

Character 1: Okay. *Cue screamer*

Character 1 & 2: OH NO!

Anyone who grew up in the late 90s early 00s played some game like this. The nostalgia was real in this film. The ending wasn't great but the vibes alone make it worth the short run time.

It starts slow and has little budget but the actors pull it off and there are some quality scares in here. Really good job all around with the visuals as well. You see so many movies like this that just suck but this one clocks in at 68 mins so just hang in for the first 15 or so and then you're off to the races.

I liked the concept especially the idea of it being from a 90s AIM IBM computer period piece. However as intriguing as the concept was it still couldn't make up for the terrible acting and lack of authenticity in the dialogue. "I don't wanna play, I'm logging off" then 1 phone call later of asking without persistent persuasion player 2 is back in camera convinced to play again and all it took was a "I need closure please"? No way. Then when player 2 comes back all of a sudden he wants to be there. No more mention of work. Also I would like to mention that actors nowadays who don't look old enough to have experienced the AIM era themselves couldn't possibly capture the authenticity of the time. In one scene he says something like "it's not voice activated... that would be impossible" almost like he wanted to say "it's 1995 we don't have voice activation yet but we will have it in 2025". It wasn't necessary to put so much emphasis on "it can't be voice activated". Felt like he was trying to convince us that it was 1995. The scenery, software, and hardware already told us what time period it was. No need for convincing. Could've been a 5 or 6 but acting dropped it to a 3 or 4. I gave it 4 because the game did look like something we played at that time.

The movie is alright but I'm so sick of language from today being used in movies that are supposed to take place 25 years ago! The use of "same", "ghosted", and "bougie" were never used that way in 1999. Writers these days just need to stop being lazy in their writing.

The movie is alright but I'm so sick of language from today being used in movies that are supposed to take place 25 years ago! The use of "same", "ghosted", and "bougie" were never used that way in 1999. Writers these days just need to stop being lazy in their writing.

The movie is alright but I'm so sick of language from today being used in movies that are supposed to take place 25 years ago! The use of "same", "ghosted", and "bougie" were never used that way in 1999. Writers these days just need to stop being lazy in their writing.