A viral Twitter thread becomes a lackluster horror movie in this BuzzFeed adaptation. Our Dear David review:
’s #TheStory. Director John McPhail expands Adam Ellis’ strange “I’m being haunted” tweets about a spirit named David into a full-blown digital haunting, but a rather uninspired usage of typical ghoulish blueprints does the original hoax-or-not tale an injustice. Evan Turner and Mike Van Waes’ script is nowhere near as thrilling as reading Ellis’ tweets in real-time, despite giving the recorded events the ol’ horror movie treatment.
Unfortunately, the chills and thrills of a glitchy entity birthed from toxic internet usage lack visual exceptionality. Adam’s bouts of sleep paralysis make him unable to defend against creepy David most nights, which is whenis at its scariest. Experiencing sleep paralysis is terrifying—it’s something I’ve battled with—but that’s merely situational fear. The imagery of a sickly blue boy rocking in a chair with wholesale animated alterations hits with a whimper.
It’s telling how reading Ellis’ tweets and watching his smartphone videos stir more unsettling feelings than a fully produced film’s reinterpretations.is an important anti-bullying message and a take on tortured artist storytelling. Prew plays Adam as an anxious commitment-phobe crumbling under the pressure of click-driven notoriety, but the script’s inability to key into anything beyond cardboard-tasting takes on these problems is an issue.
, nor do the story’s embellishments from Ellis’ otherwise effective ghost story play better than what already exists. Its emotions lack meatiness, its character relationships are plastic-fake, and the centerpiece horror happenings each night barely raise hairs. Everything feels muted, from the narrative themes to the leap-at-the-screen frights, which isn’t the experience you want from an October release about undead children tormenting online bullies.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dear David Director Details Bringing the Viral Ghost Story to LifeJohn McPhail opens up about tackling the well-known lore.
Read more »
Dear Abby: My husband had an affair that left me emotionally damagedAdvice Columns from Dear Abby, Dear Annie and more
Read more »
Dear Annie: My husband prioritizes his twin connection over our marriageAdvice Columns from Dear Abby, Dear Annie and more
Read more »
Dear Annie: Should I stop communicating with my husband’s friend?Advice Columns from Dear Abby, Dear Annie and more
Read more »
Dear Annie: My fiancé still sleeps in the same bed as her ex-boyfriendAdvice Columns from Dear Abby, Dear Annie and more
Read more »
Dear Abby: How do I swallow my pride and ask for help?Advice Columns from Dear Abby, Dear Annie and more
Read more »