The slasher renaissance continues raging on with Michael Leavy’s Stream. When it comes to a post-Scream world, slashers either comment on current culture or harken to the slasher boom of the ’80s. For every Totally Killer, there’s a Terrifier feeling ripped from yesteryear. Leavy, who co-wrote the script with Steven Della Salla, Jason Leavy, and Robert Privitera, plunges the audience into a swirling pool of both. Stream not only offers slick commentary on our collective obsession with the macabre as we doomscroll endlessly, but it also sits comfortably alongside many ’80s slashers such as Final Exam, My Bloody Valentine, and Prom Night.
Elaine (Danielle Harris) and her family struggle to connect. Her husband Roy (Charles Edwin Powell) suggests a no-tech weekend getaway to a theme park, much to their son Kevin’s (Wesley Holloway) glee. Their daughter Taylor (Sydney Malakeh) couldn’t care less. When they check into their hotel, it’s quite clear there’s not much to do. Taylor sneaks off and befriends two French hunks at the bar. Elaine eventually notices and tracks her down. But instead of an embarrassing reprimand, she pulls up a chair and shares a drink with Taylor. That familial friction sets up the emotional stakes for a film that doesn’t necessarily need it, but it’s nice to have for a retro slasher.
Unbeknownst to the guests, the hotel has been taken over by a sick and sadistic group wearing colorful electronic masks. Their thirst for blood knows no limit. David Howard Thornton, known for his role as Art the Clown in the Terrifier films, plays one of the many game players and infuses his character with his horrifyingly reliable physical performance skills. The troupe of murderers has many things to its advantage, most of all the element of surprise. The hotel becomes a breeding ground for a bloodbath, with some inventive kills that don’t get enough credit in today’s sea of slashers.
Stream is a who’s who of horror royalty. In addition to Harris, you’ll also find Tony Todd, Tim Curry, Jeffrey Combs, Dave Sheridan, Dee Wallace, Felissa Rose, and Tim Reid, among others. The cast is only marginally distracting; it’s that Leonardo DiCaprio meme from Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Michael Leavy wrangles the best in the business and gives them license to play onscreen. And you can tell they’re all having a helluva blast.
While Stream doesn’t reinvent the slasher wheel, it’s so much fun that you don’t mind that it retreads much of what we’ve come to expect. Perhaps, that’s exactly the point. Michael Leavy’s slasher outing feels primed to satisfy the bloodlust of any slasher fiend. It’s perfectly bloody and doesn’t skimp on the practical effects. And that’s all we can really hope for in a modern-day slasher.
Stream is now streaming on Tubi.
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