*wouldn’t it be funny if they all just died* [HARSH, dude.]

Story: Social media wannabe Steve decides to do a live stream from Devil’s Manor, your typical abandoned place that used to be a Satanic meeting…place. With fellow big-name influencers Chad, Jennifer, and Spencer getting in on the action, will anyone believe them when things get spooky?

Scares: More fun than frightening
Splat Factor: A touch here and there. The found footage format doesn’t let things get icky.

Subgenre: Abandoned Place Found Footage
Year Released: 2022
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original, but you’ll get vibes from other similarly set FF films

Trick or Treat?: Axe feels like a mashup of Unfriended and other “let’s stream at a haunted place” movies, like Grave Encounters and Deadstream. The story plays out on our characters’ phones, switching from livestream POV to apps to phone, and it works incredibly well. This one’ll make you feel like you’re part of the livestream audience…which feels great, and gross. Not because things are actually gross, but because if you’re like me? You’ll be so immersed in this story that you’ll feel like hot garbage for being yet another spectator who did nothing as everything unfolded.

The overall vibe of Axe is one of Kitty Genovese-esque voyeurism in the modern age. As the “stream” goes on and on, millions of viewers sit and watch these characters. Things get creepy, scary, and downright horrifying, yet the viewers can’t be bothered to react beyond posting about how many beers they’re drinking, asking for feet pics, and calling everything fake. Will anyone call 911? Will anyone try to help? Even when a member of Our Gang tries to call friends or relatives, there’s no sympathy. It’s a scathing attack on parasocial relationships and how social media can distance us from others if the internet is all you’re focused on.

I love the constant comment stream on the lower right side of the screen. It really lends credence to the live stream. A few of the “streamers” become supporting characters in their own right; in addition to the folks above, there’s a high school teacher who’s watching because he said he would if his class did well on his last test, several folks who drop exposition about Our Gang (an excellent use of the scroll, btw), and mentions of other streamers who may or may not be turning this stream into one big prank. It took me a tic before I got used to ping-ponging between the action onscreen and the scroll, but it was worth it.

Our characters – Chad the douche, Steve the wannabe, and Jennifer & Spencer the couple streamers – feel like people you’d see streaming on reels and TikTok. Each has a specific style, and focuses way too much on stream count than their real lives. Though there are a few times when the humanity of these characters shine though, as they decide to go back and try to help someone else. Oh sure, now you’re human. Honey, get help, then come back! Oops, too late. The cast does a great job portraying influencers; they’ve obviously channeled folks they’ve seen in real life, and they all balance #InfluencerLife with moments where they realize what’s really going on is what’s important.

Axe asks you to focus entirely on what’s going on, as the “live” comments section is an intrinsic part of the story here. The satanic cult, what’s happening to Our Gang, and even the horror elements themselves take second place to the real horror this film spells out. That of the lack of empathy Our Gang’s streams have created. To quote Joe Bob Briggs? I say check this one out.

One last thing – the climax has A Lot of strobe lighting. A character’s headlamp gets stuck in strobe mode, and it’s incredibly annoying. I know it’s supposed to amp up the terror. But after about 20 seconds? My eyes were calling for my immediate death. FYI, for folks who are sensitive strobes, and who just don’t like ’em.

Score: 4 out of 5 pumpkins.