Into the Black Abyss: Deathstream
Timing is a weird thing. Not too long ago, I raked Rob Savage’s Dashcam over the coals, citing it as the death knell of the Found Footage subgenre. Now I’m here to explain how Daniel Mark Young’s Into the Black Abyss: Deathstream pulls it out of the dirt.
Even before COVID-19 changed the filmmaking landscape, Found Footage was always a safe bet for cost-conscious creatives looking to make an impression. While Host gained some notoriety for its direct referencing of the pandemic, Into the Black Abyss achieves that same feeling without being showy, pompous, or overtly “conscious” about it.
It presents the world of Zach (Matt Squance), a Twitch-styled gamer with his own channel and dedicated group of followers. For those (like myself) who are unfamiliar with this world, Zach gives a little introduction, answers some questions in the chat, blocks some hostile “guests,” and proceeds to give a virtual tour of his new home in an isolated, quiet neighborhood.
From this seemingly innocuous beginning, Young establishes the setting and alludes to a transgression in Zach’s past (“WOMAN BEATER” types one chat-guest) that is still haunting him.
Oh, and there may or may not be a masked individual looming outside his front door.
From there, Into the Black Abyss: Deathstream settles into the main attraction: Zach’s test run of a new text-based game he’s acquired through a mysterious source. From the old-school, overly pixelated graphics to the “point and click” action options, the game creates a distinct mood through minimalist, low-tech means. But when the events of the game start to bleed through into Zach’s reality, the film takes an unnerving turn into real-world survival.
The Found Footage Experience
I’m not sure what co-writer/director Young’s budget was, but he makes a virtue of the quid that went into this project. The details of the screen (time clock; viewer tally; chat comments; wifi connection; wireless mic battery, etc.) are clear and easy to distinguish. And since Zach isn’t a megastar in the gaming community, it’s easier to shift focus between the chat and the action within his flat.
To that end, Young strategically uses the chat as an extension of the real-world viewer (read: Yours Truly) sitting and watching the on-screen fiction unfold. The followers take Zach’s logic to task and question his motives at certain points. And when the details of his personal history come trickling out, the fans are split between his innocence and guilt.
The final minutes of Into the Black Abyss: Deathstream are a bit muddled. On one hand, there appears to be a call for personal accountability, but also a paradoxically dark redemption arc for Zach. Or maybe these notions are simply a cosmic tease visited upon our protagonist over the course of one extremely strange night. The ending isn’t entirely definitive and leaves the door ajar for a potential sequel (which, in this case, wouldn’t be a bad thing).
That said, the journey into this this particular Abyss still conjures one of the better Found Footage experiences I’ve witnessed since Unfriended, and is definitely worth your time.
Into the Black Abyss: Deathstream is available for digital rental or purchase at: https://viralfilmsuk.gumroad.com/l/deathstream
3 out of 5 stars
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Jonny Numb
Jonny Numb (aka Jonathan Weidler) only disrobes before writing a review. He co-hosts The Last Knock horror podcast and occasionally pops up on Movies Films & Flix. His writing on non-horror cinema can be found periodically at The Screening Space.
THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast is a Crash Palace Productions’ featured show. Besides this site, you can find THE LAST KNOCK on iTunes and Spotify and more, with new shows posted every other Sunday at 9 PM ET.
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