Everybody Dies by the End

Some low budget horror movies work in spite of bad performances. This is not one of those movies. The acting is far from the problem here. This is one of the strangest examples of "what could have been" that I've ever seen. Simply put: good acting in a bad movie still results in a bad movie. The basic concept is fine, but the writing is not. It is so clear from early on where this is going, yet the characters that aren't in on it seem oblivious. There's no conceivable way that's possible. The most self centered actor on earth could see what's going on here. The cast of this deserve better, and I'd like to see them in an actual good horror movie. This one is not it.

Coming together on a movie shoot, a documentary crew is tasked with following a controversial horror director's return to filmmaking for his last film ever, but the more footage they take the more they realize his unhinged nature is spreading to the rest of the crew and impeding their attempts.

There was quite a lot to like with this one. Among its better elements is the film's use of the mockumentary format to document the shenanigans on-screen. Presenting everything through the approach of the two trying to document the comeback film and using that as a guise for collecting interviews with an increasingly frazzled cast and crew trying to present what's going on around them in the best light possible, this allows the film to generate the kind of budding tension and suspense in what's happening the longer this goes on. With the movie-making ventures on-set getting increasingly screwed over by various forces both in and out of their control and how this seemingly affects the already-unhinged director at the forefront of everything, this brings about a rather enjoyable sense of chaos that takes over as the shoot wears on and it turns into a somewhat enjoyable finale where the dark nature of everything is finally revealed. There are a few issues here that hold it down. The biggest factor with this one is the highly underwhelming factor about the tyrannical director at the center of the shoot. There's little about him that demonstrates any kind of ability to be the charismatic cult-like leader that he's built up to be as this is just information we're told at the beginning of the disastrous interview segment that instead paints him as a delusional egomaniac that only gets enhanced more the longer this goes on. The antics on the film set and the abusive behavior he unleashes show him to be at odds with reality from the start and not this type of cult-level figure he's been painted up to be. It makes for a tough time trying to buy into what's going on here but otherwise is pretty much the main detriment alongside the cheap, low-budget look that ends up being the main drawbacks.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

A masterful performance from Vinny Curran, who's easily one of the greatest unknown actors I've ever come across. It's a quality debut film for found footage and the storytelling is brilliant.

Like Cocaine Bear, enjoying with an audience only makes it better. The dialogue is pretty smart and the twist, while pretty obvious, still manages to surprise with pleasant disgust.

My only notes here is that Curran's performance seems to steal the show from every other cast member, as he baits them into his cult filmmaking, defying logic and sanity towards his final masterpiece: Everybody Dies by the End!