‘demo_n’ Review: Screenlife Horror Injects New Life Into the Subgenre
When you think of screenlife horror, films like Unfriended and its sequel likely pop into your head first. The well-tapped genre, which also features such standouts as Host, gets a welcome addition with Gary Francis Roche’s demo_n. The film (now streaming on Found TV) sees a similar set-up as Deadware and Livescream with a guy checking out a horror video game for the first time. Like most entries in the genre, it takes a good 20 minutes for the story to rev its engines, and once it does, the film takes off in exciting and terrifying ways.
Gary (Roche) hosts a video chat reunion with his friends Nathan (Nathan Joseph), Sarah (Sarah Collins), and Angharad (Angharad Ford). It’s been a long time since they’ve even spoken to one another. A storm keeps them apart, so they opt for digital reconnection. Angharad’s newfound religious beliefs supply friction among the group, with Nathan making outrageous comments about Angharad’s communal altar. While everyone takes a break from the chat to refill drinks, go to the bathroom, etc., Gary checks his email to find a strange message with a link to a demo version of a new horror video game. Against his better judgment, he clicks the link and soon unleashes an unholy entity with the ability to travel through digital spaces.
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Co-written with Richard Charlton, Roche’s film goes for cheap thrills mixed with truly frightening scares that crawl under your skin. It would be easy to shrug off yet another screelife horror film with a premise that’s already been done to literal death. But demo_n fits comfortably within the genre for some nail-biting mood, tension, and vibes all its own. As the demonic presence slithers through electrical lines, the group comes under its power and dies gruesome deaths. On a shoestring budget, the indie cut makes great use of its limited resources to scare you and make you squirm in your seat. It’s less about reinventing screenlife horror than it is about fine-tuning and relying on tried and true antics that have a track record of scaring people.
Roche uses computer glitches, freeze frames, and quick blackout cuts to plot the terror. Technology has always been less than desirable, particularly when the stakes are so high, and it doesn’t help that a storm rages just outside. The tenuous technological strings tighten the urgency – the threat of total isolation looms over the story. There’s nothing more frightening than being alone while trying to deal with a bloodthirsty, fang-toothed demon. Roche keeps the emotional investment in the characters on medium-high, so when things do hit the fan, you’re committed to seeing Gary, Nathan, Sarah, and Angharad through to the bitter and bloody end.
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With a strong, charming lead performance, Roche invites you to hang out with the characters. You get to know their likes and dislikes, what makes them tick, and how they relate to everyone else. Angharad is the clear outlier of the bunch, making her even more empathetic and drawing you into her corner. While Nathan is the typical “bro” type, Sarah offers up a softer side to balance it all out. Together, the group complements each other, rounding out the earnest nature of their conversations.
As demo_n lurches to the finale, often tripping over genre stereotypes, you’re left with the impression that the director, Gary Francis Roche, has much more to say about humanity and our relationship with technology. As is, the film offers up plenty of promise with the craftsmanship and story arc. While it certainly won’t work for everyone, it marks Roche as a surefire one to watch.
demo_n is streaming now on Found TV.
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demo_n
Summary
‘demo_n’ is your classic screenlife film with plenty of heart-throbbing scares of its own. It doesn’t reinvent the genre but gives it a jolt of electricity.
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