SPREE Review
In the midst of a worldwide lockdown, where most of us are trapped within the confines our homes with little to do besides work (that is, if you’re still employed), sleep (that is, if you can sleep), and bake bread (that is, if you have an oven), it’s nice to have a movie come out of nowhere like Eugene Kotlyarenko’s SPREE that takes a satirically violent look at the demeaning (and unnecessarily demanding) side of social media. Indeed, in this day and age of Twitters, Instagrams, and Facebooks (among a who’s who of other social media apps) a movie like SPREE, despite it’s devilishly aimed intentions never really says anything new about this new age of clout chasers and murderous Uber drivers.
Actually, due to either legal issues or some kind of artistic touch, Uber or Lyft aren’t mentioned much, instead replaced by the eponymous ride sharing app called Spree, which our protagonist, the bug-eyed and fame chasing “influencer” Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery) uses to not only make money, but also utilize as a tool to increase his fame. Told entirely through livestreams caught on a variety of apps and phones, security footage, and even body cams, Kurt, desperately seeking stardom in the over the top wasteland of aspiring fame seekers like himself, naturally transitions to live murders in order to help boost his fame. Of course, with little followers outside of some kid he used to baby-sit (Joshua Ovalle), Kurt begins to up his murders in both execution and targets, soon setting his sights on the minorly famous comedian Jessie Adams (played by current SNL member Sasheer Zamata) all in a desperate attempt to get some more followers.
A dark satire at its core, SPREE is an obvious exercise in the dangers of fame chasing and social media. No new lessons regarding these themes will be displayed in the Kotlyarenko’s and Gene McHugh’s script, instead being content with laughing at patented LA stereotypes of douche bros, hipsters, aspiring artists, annoying influencers, over the hill D.J.s, and ditzy rich kids. While these targets are portrayed well enough by most of the performers (with special kudos to David Arquette as Kurt’s washed up D.J. father, playing a character both pitiful and funny in idea and execution), SPREE is content to laugh at these characters with the same jokes you’ve heard about them in other satirical looks at star culture before offing them with little fanfare. Unlike other satires of various privileged cultures such as the toxic frat bros of Wall Street found in AMERICAN PSYCHO or the deranged Instagram followers of INGRID GOES WEST, SPREE never tries to get its hands dirty in its approach to it targets in regards to both comedy or actions.
Despite never going above its influences in dark satire, SPREE has one true (and literal) wild card on deck: Joe Keery. The moving mop of hair known for his surprisingly depthful portrayal of a redeemed jock in STRANGER THINGS, Keery absolutely makes his anchoring performance count. While Kurt Kunkle is exactly what one would think of when one says “psychotic clout chaser”, Keery effortlessly embodies a damaged young man in search of that ever elusive “a star is born” moment. Whether playing it up with gleeful excitement during his uneventful vlog sessions or turning on the mounting creep energy when interacting with other people, especially in his one on ones with Jessie, Keery weaponizes his winning smile to create a stomach churning (and occasionally gut-busting) caricature. Additionally, to the writer’s credit, Kurt as a character gets some interesting and natural reveals into his background despite the movie moving primarily in the present and being told through a hodgepodge of social media displays.
As a stylistic choice, the movie gets a lot of mileage out of its social media infused look which moves with an almost coked up speed as notifications, group messages and more pop up onto the screen at every minute. Indeed, while some viewers may be put off by this look, one can’t deny that it captures the hectic copiousness of a life entrenched in those always active social media pages. On the whole, SPREE definitely captures the look of our social age even if its overall story meanders through various stereotypes to a last act that becomes a by the numbers thriller/slasher that insists upon slamming audiences heads with needless exposition of its themes (as if a murdering Instagrammer wasn’t obvious enough).
Even so, Kotlyarenko and co. have a fun enough film (and a commanding lead) on their hands that make its generalized satire a bit more effective than usual. A bit like a ride with your usual Uber/Lyft/Spree driver, you appreciate the service but you may forget about it after lunch.
3/5
