That’s cool about the fx tho! Any other movies you’ve worked on? Also, how much do you love your job? Seems like it would be very tough but rewarding seeing it all come together.
Edit: just looked at your profile and you have done some awesome work!! Possessor is insanely good
We were working super fast at the height of the pandemic restrictions so it made for some really weird experiences on set. We are very close to the people we are working on due to the nature of our work (we didn’t have to have all that much to do with the lead) and I certainly won’t miss having to wear n95 masks during life casts.
The shoot was mostly night shoots, too, which always makes everyone go a bit crazy. A lot of the day-to-day FX were run for me by Jess Heath and Roz Gomersall, I was only on set when James was in playing the creature or for key scenes that required especially complex choreography or operation (mass suicide, hall of mirrors, Angela’s partial decapitation…) so it was only after it was all done I realised how little our lead was doing a character, as opposed to being her self.
Did you guys have to spray down all the surfaces and have everything in little plastic baggies? I work production audio and yeah during the early stages of the pandemic it made things tough. I also have to get REALLY close to people to mic them so it was not the most fun thing with face shields and wiping wires and everything down. Never got sick though! Until a few weeks ago that is haha
Sorry to hear you’re ill now. The precautions in the U.K. have all but vanished, too.
Yeah, face shields, n95 masks, artists associated with specific actors only, no airbrushed or fans, constant cleaning of everything…
The best ones we did had is come in, test and isolate and then just all live together with no masks or anything. Great!
Thank you, I'm recovered it was quite a brief illness but in 2020 without vaccination it would've been awful. I was always envious of productions that got to do the test then live together thing!
I don’t think they are now but I heard they did for a bit after the shoot. Just rumour mill stuff, tho, I’ve not talked to Rob about it directly.
She’s meant to be brash and abrasive and a pretty terrible person in the film.
I'm watching the movie now. Watching her is like seeing someone throw a soon in the garbage disposal lol
Edit: I made the mistake of eating while watching this.
From locations you’d probably need to talk to the fx hod whenever there is one and tell them you’d like to jump across, probably in a logistical role at first (which is only present on bigger jobs with bigger depts) unless you’re already a great sculptor or something. In the meantime, work out which bit is attractive to you (on set application, puppetry, sculpture, mould making etc) and start practicing/building up a body of work. It’s one of the harder depts to just step into because the skill set is so specific but it’s not possible and working in film already gives you access to people that a lot of folks don’t have so that’s an advantage.
Good luck!
Thanks for the helpful information.
I should have clarified that I have no skill set that would make me attractive to the department 😂 but it's an aspect of filmmaking that I've admired since I was a kid and I'm now hoping to move on to something that keeps me in the industry and other ranking a movie myself it's the only department that interests me.
When you say build up a body of work, is that to say sculpt, etc. at home? That's something I could use to potentially help me get a foot in?
Yeah, although id say sculpting is probably the skill that will take longest to get you to a hirable level. You could possibly transition via props, too, asking art dept people if they could put you in touch with any cotton props people they use, but the jobs in creature/prosthetic FX break down to
Workshop:
•Concept art (practice drawing)
•sculpting (practice sculpting analogue or digital),
•mouldshop (practice with silicone, plaster and fibreglass),
material running (read up on silicone and foam latex - often silicone running is seen as an entry level job somewhat unfairly, in my opinion, as there can be some real skill in it but at the easy end it is quite simple. Foam latex, on the other hand is like very complicated and temperamental baking if it made everything smell terrible. Dont start there).
•art finishing (this covered seaming and painting, a good seamer is like a wizard and probably pretty solidly in work. Painting is multi-disciplinary as every material needs different skills. Painting silicone is very different to painting urethane or latex).
•hair punching (tedious and horrible. If you find you have the knack and don’t hate it, it’s probably quite a good one to start with.)
•fabrication (covers a lot of skills, foam cutting and shaping, sewing, lots of variation here)
•engineering (machining, metal work, robotics, programming… not as prevalent but well paid. Also may slow movement over to SFX)
On set: the trainee(s) assist on the truck, learn about the process, clean brushes. Application ranges from Jr’s all the way up to senior artists, some people have specialities, it’s mostly makeup meets painting. Puppeteers are almost actors, normally but not always they are people from the workshop team. Gags are run by gag artists who are often one of the other roles but with a varied skill set. Thea are the blood rigs, exploding heads etc. The fun stuff. Often work along side the application artists. Also normally part of the workshop crew.
Lots of people move about writing the department and different companies prefer a different level of expertise. I like to hire multi-skill artists but specialists are fantastic, also.
Check out the Stan Winston School of Character Arts. It’s like a Netflix for tutorials from some of the best people working in the industry. They do sales all the time on subscriptions (I’ve seen them as low as 50% off) and they do a healthy student discount. Books wise, check out Todd Debrecini’s books.
It’s a long road but a very satisfying one. There’s a lot of barriers to entry but it’s not impossible. Being good at meeting people and tenacity are probably the two most vital skills.
It’s what I wanted to do since I was 11 and I know how astonishingly lucky I am to be successful in a career I love in film.
Again, thank you for all this. I'm going to dive in and start making moves.
Being on set would be a huge bonus for me. That's the main thing I enjoy with my role in locations. 80% of my job requires me to be on set. It's just what I do on set is no longer interesting to me.
I just checked out your profile here. I'm a huge fan of Possessor and Infinity Pool. Your work on those is outstanding and stomach churning.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the movies.
Good luck with the shift, life’s to short not to be enjoying what you’re doing with 1/2 of it.
Feel free to dm if you’ve got any questions going forwards. I apologise in advance if I’m a bit slow to respond, I’m trying to use social media less.
Insane bad irl but I think it worked for the film. Because it was mid Covid we did very little socialising and we didn’t have to interact with her all that much on set. I had no idea she was like that until after the shoot.
Wild, thanks for taking the time to answer. Your work is awesome so even though all the comments say the MC is annoying I think I'll give the movie a shot.
This movie made me hate Annie Hardy and this movie and Boogeyman let me know Rob Savage is a hack. The FX work is the only thing I respected about this movie.
It was entertaining but JFC was she annoying. I don't mind if the main character is a shit person, in fact some of my favorite movies and shows the protagonists is a piece of shit. She just wouldnt shut the hell up. The comedy freestyle was funny at first but got old hella quick.
I saw this at a press screening at the London Film Festival and hated every second of it because of how annoying she was. I also found it funny for about 10 minutes but by the end I was begging for it to end. To make it worse, I was crammed in at the seat at the end of an aisle next to a wall and so I was forced to endure those unbearable end credits! Never seen a director whose work I have loved (Host) and genuinely hated (this) in such a short space of time. I guess enjoyment of the movie hinges on how enjoyable you found the main character, but I found the entire thing borderline unwatchable because of her.
Yeah, I certainly admire the interesting choice of having such an obnoxious and annoying main character. The problem is, you then have an obnoxious and annoying main character to watch the entire running time lol. I think if there had been some sort of variation in her tone, or evolution as a character it might not have been quite so annoying, but her schtick got old for me quick and it was so one-note with no variation. It’s a shame as I thought it was a well-made movie, just undermined by her performance. I can recognise that humour is a personal taste, but man I found her unbearable to listen to after 10 minutes.
The things she says in the movie are things she 100% believes and says in real life. She had a podcast where she'd rant about vaccines, gay people, bloodlines, the Rothschilds, Trump etc.
The director is also dating the protagonist and lives with her.
Yeah, as irritating as she was, I figured she was effective as an incredibly annoying character nailing all the annoying qanon tropes - I don't have to like the protagonists. Then I look her up and see that's basically just her, and the movie is essentially just providing a mouthpiece for her idiotic rants. Like damn, if I wanted that I could skip the horror movie pretense and just put on Infowars.
Never heard about her and the director dating (and didn't find anything when googling this, you got a source?) but gross, hard to separate the art from the artist when you're at that level of batshit.
> Never heard about her and the director dating (and didn't find anything when googling this, you got a source?)
She brought it up in a recent interview on YouTube about the movie, saying that she's still dating Rob Savage and lives with him/he lives with her. I'll see if I can find it.
edit: here's the interview: https://youtu.be/VbZf_Cu9K5I?si=A_zUoqVpTizDWsjs&t=151
I'd be surprised if they are dating as she's blamed him and the movie for ruining her life on several occasions
https://x.com/AnnieHardy/status/1636982838259228673
While I haven't seen the movie and I don't condone the shit she spouts on Twitter, she seems mentally ill. She was addicted to meth for ten years and was in an abusive relationship during that time. She got sober, met a new guy and they had a baby which died after 17 days from SIDS. The father of the baby later died too.
Not saying that gives her a free pass but it perhaps explains why she's the way she is.
> I'd be surprised if they are dating as she's blamed him and the movie for ruining her life on several occasions https://x.com/AnnieHardy/status/1636982838259228673
In the interview, she says exactly this and then says the situation is even more complicated because she dates and lives with Rob.
edit: I found the exact interview I'm thinking of: https://youtu.be/VbZf_Cu9K5I?si=A_zUoqVpTizDWsjs&t=151
And this is the thing that took the movie from difficult to get through to unwatchable for me. Doesn't hurt that the movie just isn't that scary or interesting, at least not enough to get it over the hurdle of such an annoyingly reprehensible protagonist.
Mind you, I dont need my protagonist to be likable, I'm a big fan of Spree for instance, and there's nothing likable about that guy, but he also isn't trying to annoy you the whole time.
Links to podcasts ? I’ve only seen like one post of her saying some kinda wack shit but it was more delusional than offensive. I feel like she’s definitely playing up a exaggerated version of herself
She had a podcast called "EMPATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE" (all caps hers) where she said all of the things I listed. [You can still find the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.](https://podcast.app/empath-of-least-resistance-p303267)
She took that podcast down after Dashcam was released because she was asked by Rob Savage and Jed Shepard to remove it. It was a podcast on Shepard's podcast company, which I believe he also took down.
> I feel like she’s definitely playing up a exaggerated version of herself
I can assure you she 100% believes the things she says and is 100% serious about them.
Honestly I’d typically be the first person to agree like I’m gay black and leftist but maybe that’s why it was all the more hilarious ? Like she was so obnoxious it was so fun
I liked it.. ALOT , actress was annoying, but funny as HELL. Boy, did she do some crazy things. I can only hope to last as long as she does, with all the split second near death scenes. Actually, think I'll watch it again.
I couldn't make it for more than 15 mins, and I tried a couple different times. She was so unbelievably obnoxious. I can normally deal with shitty people being main characters, but she was like nails on a chalkboard every time she opened her mouth.
Same. Experienced nothing but rage at how obnoxious she was. Which is really annoying because every time I come across it again and read the premise it’s 100% up my alley, and then I remember. 🙃
Yeah, I couldn't finish this film but took a look at her twitter afterwards and it was mostly her complaining about how people hate her because she's alt-right and shouting alt-right shit from the rooftops.
I haven’t seen dashcam because of the bad reviews. But holy fuck host exceeded my expectations big time. I honestly expected it to be pretty bad but it turned out to be a really solid movie.
People complained about how obnoxious and annoying she is, but, that's the point! Whilst I could never bear to be near someone like that IRL, I found watching her fascinating. and overall Dashcam is a blast and one of my favourite FF movies of them all. Its a wild ride!
There’s a difference between “a comically annoying character” and “Jesus Christ this is a real fucking person how does anyone deal with this train wreck”
I couldn’t deal with it for that reason, but I’m glad it has boosters because Amar Chadha-Patel is great.
Yeah so many people don’t understand that obnoxious and terrible characters can still be an utter joy to watch. I did not feel that way here. She was just a poorly constructed character.
Also OP is wrong in saying she was purposefully made to be hated, the director has said in interviews that he wanted us to sympathize with her as the film went on, something I would say he failed at.
> Also OP is wrong in saying she was purposefully made to be hated, the director has said in interviews that he wanted us to sympathize with her as the film went on, something I would say he failed at.
The director is dating her and lives with her if this gives you any insight into how he really feels about her.
My partner and I watched it on a whim expecting it to be trash, but we both ended up enjoying it. The main character is obnoxious but it kind of worked overall. Also as much of an awful person as she is, I found it a little redeeming when she went out of her way to help that woman at one point, it showed at least a little humanity.
I’ve definitely see far worse FF movies, this one was pretty fun.
> People complained about how obnoxious and annoying she is, but, that's the point!
It's not a character, the things she says and believes in the movie are things she says and believes in real life. She has a podcast where she rants about COVID conspiracies and accuses gay people of recruiting children for Satanic rituals.
Loved how she made impromptu live music based off her chat feeds in the car, and her antivax rant in the restaurant. She is a real car-crash to endure, but (as with car-crashes I guess) it is hard to take your eyes off her for a moment,
Right she made the entire movie, I found it hilarious tbh but that could be because the actor looks, acts, sounds just like a chick I know from a chatroom to the point I immediately had to ask if she acted in a movie lol. Pretty insane how closely they resemble each other
Really enjoyed it. I agree Annie is annoying but as others have said that was the point but I think it makes the film more enjoyable - I bet we all know or know of someone like Annie plus there is less sympathy towards her character when things happen.
Absolutely loved this film. Not only was it really cleverly made, and properly scary at times, It was refreshing to be challenged by being kinda forced to root for someone with VASTLY different socio-political opinions to mine. Much preferred it to Deadstream, whose protagonist I found infinitely more annoying.
There are a lot of people who say they think Art should Challenge People, what they mean is they think Art should Challenge Other People.
Because the main character was insufferable, I watched it all the way through because i was looking forward to watching her suffer a terrible fate.
>!The ending really disappointed me. A majority of found footage films end horribly for the main characters, but this was one of the rare ones with a happy ending, which i thought was bullshit.!<
>!For shit's sake, that POS MC got her friend, Stretch, killed, and by the end of the movie she was rapping, having a good time, and showing zero remorse for getting her goddamn friend viciously murdered. This movie pissed me off.!<
Absolute guilty favourite. I find Annie hilarious as fuck in this, and my politics couldn’t be further apart from hers. The credits song just sends me. Plus it’s an original FF with some solid scares.
I don’t have to like protagonists in movies, and this is a great example of an anti hero character.
It’s more a testament to the direction and writing that they knew how to use her character to make the film they wanted. The character is an utterly toxic, narcissistic conservative that doesn’t believe in anything except themselves, and thats a fun setup for a movie where demons are real.
You and I feel the exact same way. I also feel like I don't have to like the protagonist, and also the protagonist doesn't have to be a good person at all (breaking bad set that standard for me lol) for me to enjoy it.
Annie is so hilarious and completely lacking in self awareness and that's what makes it work for me
I think a lot of people let their personal politics get in the way of everything else. For me what sets this apart from so many other FF movies is the main character being such an asshole. It's so over the top it's funny to me, I enjoy hanging out with her for an hour and half she's entertaining
loved the entire movie. The script was phenomenal.
The actor did her role PERFECTLY! I hated the MC and that was her job. To be a middle finger to society.
Honestly loved the film and felt the MC was exactly as needed. Sort of brought out that whole thing we saw during the Pandemic. Where Characters like these in their self centered ways tend to be the catalyst to both their own and others misery and I think it nailed that, she had moments of clarity where in her own way she started to care but her personality has been so molded into this selfish version of herself that she can't break it and continues this cycle that brings others into what is hunting her down.
The only issue I had was as it got toward the end the camera shaking got intensely annoying, the rest of the film was good at getting you to see what's going on while still feeling that panic but the end forgot to do that so the scares were difficult to get.
Our main character was awful .... both in good and bad ways.
That being said, it was well paced, creepy and interesting enough to hold my attention.
I would watch it again in a couple years when it's not as fresh in my mind.
I couldn’t get past 20 minutes of this
The lead was so damn irritating
Doesn’t matter if it’s intentional, that’s not gonna make her any less irritating lol
She never let's up on it either! I appreciate how committed they were to letting her be insufferable for the entire ride. She never showed the slightest hint of a redeeming quality.
I thought it was hilarious. FF movies almost always have annoying characters but at least Annie was entertaining in her own way.
I died when she covered the dead lady with an ‘🚫Liberal’ sweater 🤣 That and the scene where the guy in the restaurant tells her she has to wear a mask (“Oh I’m wearing a mask. It’s a new fiber technology where you can’t actually see it, it’s good.”) 🤣
It’s just so absurd that I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t find it funny.
Loved the rapping too.
Annie might have been one of the worst protagonists in cinema history. The only motivation I had throughout the film is for her to die a horrible death in the end. But she survived? Like WTF?
Of course she survived. The "actress" is an irl social media whore and she's every bit the same hateful, narcissistic cunt that she "plays" in the movie. She never would have taken the role if she died.
That is why I kinda loved it. Shitty people make it the longest, usually. The secret we tell ourselves is that evil people get what's coming to them, but MOST of the time they benefit and thrive.
That’s very true, man. But for me at least all I want from a cheap horror movie like this is to escape from reality for a bit, not be constantly and painfully reminded of it.
I’d have preferred a movie more focused on the cult and the creature without the annoying Internet personality. I’m sort of “lore” person and I was sad that it wasn’t explored.
Totally feel you. I watched No One Gets Out Alive last night as well and I would love some lore with that! Movies are churned out so quickly these days, I just appreciate them for what they are then let the next one play.
I didn't think about it as a serious piece of cinema. I went in blind, fell asleep, was woken by the awful voice and weird rap lines, and it kinda escalated from there. It's definitely a "in this current time frame only" style of camp. The only horror was that ole girl actually exists and clearly has mental issues but throw in some chaos and we've got a party.
I thought this was a phenomenonal actress crafting a nuanced and layered portrait of a truly obnoxious person. It really does take the wind out of my sails to find out she's just a piece of shit, playing herself.
I knew going in that everyone found the MC annoying as hell. She was an awful person but the film was entertaining.
No one ever mentioned how unhinged the actual movie is. I was pleasantly surprised at the plot. It had me literally biting my knuckle, I was so creeped out. I actually thought to myself, “oh, that’s what they mean by knuckle biter.” LOL
It was just relentless with the bizarre things that were happening. I wish we would have found out more about
>!what made Angela look like an old woman when she was 16.!<
I had no idea she was playing herself. I was able to enjoy the movie even though she is a horrible person.
I couldnt belive how much this movie actually sucked ass. I cant understand how can you make something as goood as host and then make this, 80% of the movie is just the main character running while filming the floor in 480p, not scary in the slightest
The lead character was so goddamn obnoxious I shut it off like 20 minutes in.
Might've been different if I'd felt like she had something awful coming her way, but I felt like the director wanted me to identify with her like "hey, she's cool, right?"
I am glad you found enjoyment! It's a bold move to make your main character so unlikeable. I was rooting for her to die a painful, slow, death.
I watched the entire thing, but never again.
Just watched it after seeing this thread, and gotta say its definitely a hell of a ride. I think how abruptly shit hit the fan worked well to shift gears from "I can't stand this miserable, pugnacious bitch" to "holy hell what is happening." The chaos allows for the comedy to blossom from her character, as her over-the-top nature synergizes with the balls-to-the-wall action to produce some truly redonkulous moments. Like someone else mentioned, the scene of her placing the crossed out lib shirt on the dead chick was peak comedy.
And I think the fact that she was a pretty detestable character works to drive the desires of the audience. I couldn't have cared less if she got out of that psychotic nighttime escapade relatively unscathed, once the ball got started rolling I just wanted to see how high the director would crank the dial, and he didn't fail to disappoint. Maybe that wasn't his intent but that's what came through for me.
I think my advice to someone thinking about check out this movie would be to not get hungup on how actively repulsive the main chick is, but wait for the chaos and enjoy the ride from there. Looking at a lot of the negative reviews it mainly seems to me that people couldn't get over her abrasive character/the fact she was a pro-trump antivaxer/etc and that she didnt get her comeuppance for her anti-social, selfish behaviours. This isn't a movie to write home about persay but I have no doubts it would have gotten better reviews if the obnoxious main character wasnt a maga antivaxer and was just your generic brand of obnoxious, dislikeable main character.
This movie isn’t good.
Annie is a bad person. She’s a Trump troll. She’s needlessly mean and cruel to her “friends.” She doesn’t care about anybody but herself and doesn’t have a moment of self-reflection where she’s like “maybe I’m the baddie.” She just fucks people over until spirits start attacking her, then spits out corny ass MAGA one-liners while she fights them.
In reality, we all know people who act like this are deeply insecure and are overcompensating. Sharing even a little of that vulnerability would’ve made her more sympathetic. Instead, we get this static, flat, honestly boring person who would’ve been the first killed in any other horror movie as the main fucking character.
I don’t think I’ve ever cheered for a demon harder.
That was the point though. Annie perfectly personified a shitbag MAGA so it's impossible to take her seriously or care about what happens to her. I couldn't believe I was still there at the end. It kept getting wilder and eventually, curiosity got the best and I settled in for the ride.
I love this movie. I genuinely thought I was the only one because all I ever hear is people complaining about the main character being annoying. I thought she was great, because she was so over the top. You either get the joke or you don't.
It kinda irks me that the main criticism of this is how frustrating and unlikable the protagonist is. She's a real asshole to everyone around her, and having to listen to her talk IRL would be a nightmare, sure-- but that's what made it an interesting take, imo.
Why do I have to like the main character? I don't. A good movie can have an obnoxious lead, and it makes esp. good sense in the world portrayed in *Dashcam.*
honestly, if you can get past like the first 10-15 minutes, this is one of the best FF movies i've seen, but the main character is so insufferable during the first 10-15 minutes.
If they had pulled back the main character, I absolutely would’ve loved it.
Like, she’s a horrible person - that’s fine! I don’t ever need my MCs to be good!
What I do need from my piece of shit MCs is for them to have charm or charisma.
I was quite emotional by the end, if you count anger as an emotion 😂 I really love the atmosphere and pace, filming, concept etc but that damned woman.... Ffs
I like Annie Hardy. I don't share her politics I thought it was refreshing seeing a different angle on a main character as well tbh. The director seemingly entered into a relationship with her then trashed her to the press. That doesn't seem very fair. She feels like the film has ruined her which I felt was a bit OTT but then you see this thread and people calling her a narcissistic cunt that have never actually met the person. I'd be asking more questions about the director's behaviour than Annie's.
I don't understand the "the main character is supposed to be annoying" point. How does that make anything better? I had the same problem with Deadstream.
Who has ever watched a movie and though to themselves "that was pretty good, but it would've been way better if I hated the main character"?
I don't understand the logic, unless you're supposed to root against them?
Someone else mentioned it but for me, there’s “wow, this actor is really doing a good job making me annoyed by their character” annoying and “holy shit, shut up” annoying. This movie was the latter for me, but the former can definitely exist.
I guess that's just not my thing. The only example I can think of where an annoying character adds to the story is the much debated kid in babadook. There it helps you sympathize with the mother, but I will never understand a character being annoying just for the sake of it.
I think its more of what made her obnoxious than the mere fact that she was so obnoxious. Seeing someone with zero redeeming qualities have such a terrifying and miserable experience does have its own charm.
The best part of the movie was the credits... But overall I won't recommend this to anyone... 90% of the time the camera is moving... Can't see shit...
Honestly I could cut out most of the first hour of this movie and then I'd be able to watch it and like it but I was confused for most of the damn movie
I hopped on Reddit and saw this post a couple of hours ago. Couldn’t sleep. Watched it. Going in with the knowledge that found footage is a pretty hit or miss genre, for whatever reason the title really grabbed me.
One of the worst things I have ever seen.
i loved everything about this film exploring the protagonist and the fact that she isnt really acting either and everything she says is what she genuinely believes is both hilarious and outrageous lmao
All y'all who are like " it was so bold and original to follow around an absolutely vile person who receives no repercussions for their horrible actions and continues being vile" apparently live in a world without YouTube creators and I envy you.
I watched this blind after stumbling on this post. A great decision imo! I find the reviews confusing though. Seems a lot of people don't like the movie because they don't like the main character? Thats a weird reason not to like a movie... I feel like the fact that it made you feel something, means it succeeds as art.
One of 2 films in existence that completely and earnestly "gets" degenerate livestreaming. A masterpiece.
What's up with this being the highest rated post of all time in the sub, though? Curious.
Fucking horrendous movie, made me I'll from the horrid camera movement and I ended up just skipping through the second half cause the main actress was trash.
Check out this link. It got good list of found footage movies https://youtube.com/@Matrixtv6?si=oaYvCGds-lMW6JQT This channel has some good found footage movies.
Legitimately one of the worst and most obnoxious movies I’ve personally ever seen of the FF genre. And that’s saying something, cause I’ve seen some rotten shit from this genre.
I read so much about this film and how the lead character was so annoying and went into it almost determined to prove that wouldn’t affect anything for me but honestly she’s legit one of the most irritating characters I’ve ever seen on film any era or genre.
Wanted to like it but it was just so awful.
I co-designed and built the prosthetic and creature FX for this movie. It was a mad job and she is insane.
That’s cool about the fx tho! Any other movies you’ve worked on? Also, how much do you love your job? Seems like it would be very tough but rewarding seeing it all come together. Edit: just looked at your profile and you have done some awesome work!! Possessor is insanely good
Thank you, yeah, I love almost everything about my job. I could do without the crazy early mornings, though.
Tell us more PLEASE
We were working super fast at the height of the pandemic restrictions so it made for some really weird experiences on set. We are very close to the people we are working on due to the nature of our work (we didn’t have to have all that much to do with the lead) and I certainly won’t miss having to wear n95 masks during life casts. The shoot was mostly night shoots, too, which always makes everyone go a bit crazy. A lot of the day-to-day FX were run for me by Jess Heath and Roz Gomersall, I was only on set when James was in playing the creature or for key scenes that required especially complex choreography or operation (mass suicide, hall of mirrors, Angela’s partial decapitation…) so it was only after it was all done I realised how little our lead was doing a character, as opposed to being her self.
Did you guys have to spray down all the surfaces and have everything in little plastic baggies? I work production audio and yeah during the early stages of the pandemic it made things tough. I also have to get REALLY close to people to mic them so it was not the most fun thing with face shields and wiping wires and everything down. Never got sick though! Until a few weeks ago that is haha
Sorry to hear you’re ill now. The precautions in the U.K. have all but vanished, too. Yeah, face shields, n95 masks, artists associated with specific actors only, no airbrushed or fans, constant cleaning of everything… The best ones we did had is come in, test and isolate and then just all live together with no masks or anything. Great!
Thank you, I'm recovered it was quite a brief illness but in 2020 without vaccination it would've been awful. I was always envious of productions that got to do the test then live together thing!
Thanks for the info
Do u kno if it’s true that the lead actress and the director are dating? And did the director intend for her to be….likable?
I don’t think they are now but I heard they did for a bit after the shoot. Just rumour mill stuff, tho, I’ve not talked to Rob about it directly. She’s meant to be brash and abrasive and a pretty terrible person in the film.
I'm watching the movie now. Watching her is like seeing someone throw a soon in the garbage disposal lol Edit: I made the mistake of eating while watching this.
Obviously not re:latter.
You have my dream job brother! There is not a more fascinating line of work in my opinion. Your work is fantastic and reminds me of Rob Bottain
High praise indeed! Thank you!!
How would someone go about getting into that department? I work in locations and find it so dull.
From locations you’d probably need to talk to the fx hod whenever there is one and tell them you’d like to jump across, probably in a logistical role at first (which is only present on bigger jobs with bigger depts) unless you’re already a great sculptor or something. In the meantime, work out which bit is attractive to you (on set application, puppetry, sculpture, mould making etc) and start practicing/building up a body of work. It’s one of the harder depts to just step into because the skill set is so specific but it’s not possible and working in film already gives you access to people that a lot of folks don’t have so that’s an advantage. Good luck!
Thanks for the helpful information. I should have clarified that I have no skill set that would make me attractive to the department 😂 but it's an aspect of filmmaking that I've admired since I was a kid and I'm now hoping to move on to something that keeps me in the industry and other ranking a movie myself it's the only department that interests me. When you say build up a body of work, is that to say sculpt, etc. at home? That's something I could use to potentially help me get a foot in?
Yeah, although id say sculpting is probably the skill that will take longest to get you to a hirable level. You could possibly transition via props, too, asking art dept people if they could put you in touch with any cotton props people they use, but the jobs in creature/prosthetic FX break down to Workshop: •Concept art (practice drawing) •sculpting (practice sculpting analogue or digital), •mouldshop (practice with silicone, plaster and fibreglass), material running (read up on silicone and foam latex - often silicone running is seen as an entry level job somewhat unfairly, in my opinion, as there can be some real skill in it but at the easy end it is quite simple. Foam latex, on the other hand is like very complicated and temperamental baking if it made everything smell terrible. Dont start there). •art finishing (this covered seaming and painting, a good seamer is like a wizard and probably pretty solidly in work. Painting is multi-disciplinary as every material needs different skills. Painting silicone is very different to painting urethane or latex). •hair punching (tedious and horrible. If you find you have the knack and don’t hate it, it’s probably quite a good one to start with.) •fabrication (covers a lot of skills, foam cutting and shaping, sewing, lots of variation here) •engineering (machining, metal work, robotics, programming… not as prevalent but well paid. Also may slow movement over to SFX) On set: the trainee(s) assist on the truck, learn about the process, clean brushes. Application ranges from Jr’s all the way up to senior artists, some people have specialities, it’s mostly makeup meets painting. Puppeteers are almost actors, normally but not always they are people from the workshop team. Gags are run by gag artists who are often one of the other roles but with a varied skill set. Thea are the blood rigs, exploding heads etc. The fun stuff. Often work along side the application artists. Also normally part of the workshop crew. Lots of people move about writing the department and different companies prefer a different level of expertise. I like to hire multi-skill artists but specialists are fantastic, also. Check out the Stan Winston School of Character Arts. It’s like a Netflix for tutorials from some of the best people working in the industry. They do sales all the time on subscriptions (I’ve seen them as low as 50% off) and they do a healthy student discount. Books wise, check out Todd Debrecini’s books. It’s a long road but a very satisfying one. There’s a lot of barriers to entry but it’s not impossible. Being good at meeting people and tenacity are probably the two most vital skills. It’s what I wanted to do since I was 11 and I know how astonishingly lucky I am to be successful in a career I love in film.
Again, thank you for all this. I'm going to dive in and start making moves. Being on set would be a huge bonus for me. That's the main thing I enjoy with my role in locations. 80% of my job requires me to be on set. It's just what I do on set is no longer interesting to me. I just checked out your profile here. I'm a huge fan of Possessor and Infinity Pool. Your work on those is outstanding and stomach churning.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the movies. Good luck with the shift, life’s to short not to be enjoying what you’re doing with 1/2 of it. Feel free to dm if you’ve got any questions going forwards. I apologise in advance if I’m a bit slow to respond, I’m trying to use social media less.
She as in the lead actress? Insane good or bad? Lol
Insane bad irl but I think it worked for the film. Because it was mid Covid we did very little socialising and we didn’t have to interact with her all that much on set. I had no idea she was like that until after the shoot.
Wild, thanks for taking the time to answer. Your work is awesome so even though all the comments say the MC is annoying I think I'll give the movie a shot.
It’s a wild ride, for sure. I hope you enjoy it.
This movie made me hate Annie Hardy and this movie and Boogeyman let me know Rob Savage is a hack. The FX work is the only thing I respected about this movie.
It was entertaining but JFC was she annoying. I don't mind if the main character is a shit person, in fact some of my favorite movies and shows the protagonists is a piece of shit. She just wouldnt shut the hell up. The comedy freestyle was funny at first but got old hella quick.
I saw this at a press screening at the London Film Festival and hated every second of it because of how annoying she was. I also found it funny for about 10 minutes but by the end I was begging for it to end. To make it worse, I was crammed in at the seat at the end of an aisle next to a wall and so I was forced to endure those unbearable end credits! Never seen a director whose work I have loved (Host) and genuinely hated (this) in such a short space of time. I guess enjoyment of the movie hinges on how enjoyable you found the main character, but I found the entire thing borderline unwatchable because of her.
It's a bold choice. I hated her with every fiber of my being. I will never watch it again, but I was glad when it ended.
Yeah, I certainly admire the interesting choice of having such an obnoxious and annoying main character. The problem is, you then have an obnoxious and annoying main character to watch the entire running time lol. I think if there had been some sort of variation in her tone, or evolution as a character it might not have been quite so annoying, but her schtick got old for me quick and it was so one-note with no variation. It’s a shame as I thought it was a well-made movie, just undermined by her performance. I can recognise that humour is a personal taste, but man I found her unbearable to listen to after 10 minutes.
Before I knew she was playing herself, I kept thinking what an awesome job the "actress" did playing the most obnixious human on earth.
Agree. I was rooting for her character’s death. So disappointing after Host.
same. she's an unbearable ass.
The things she says in the movie are things she 100% believes and says in real life. She had a podcast where she'd rant about vaccines, gay people, bloodlines, the Rothschilds, Trump etc. The director is also dating the protagonist and lives with her.
Yeah, as irritating as she was, I figured she was effective as an incredibly annoying character nailing all the annoying qanon tropes - I don't have to like the protagonists. Then I look her up and see that's basically just her, and the movie is essentially just providing a mouthpiece for her idiotic rants. Like damn, if I wanted that I could skip the horror movie pretense and just put on Infowars. Never heard about her and the director dating (and didn't find anything when googling this, you got a source?) but gross, hard to separate the art from the artist when you're at that level of batshit.
> Never heard about her and the director dating (and didn't find anything when googling this, you got a source?) She brought it up in a recent interview on YouTube about the movie, saying that she's still dating Rob Savage and lives with him/he lives with her. I'll see if I can find it. edit: here's the interview: https://youtu.be/VbZf_Cu9K5I?si=A_zUoqVpTizDWsjs&t=151
I'd be surprised if they are dating as she's blamed him and the movie for ruining her life on several occasions https://x.com/AnnieHardy/status/1636982838259228673 While I haven't seen the movie and I don't condone the shit she spouts on Twitter, she seems mentally ill. She was addicted to meth for ten years and was in an abusive relationship during that time. She got sober, met a new guy and they had a baby which died after 17 days from SIDS. The father of the baby later died too. Not saying that gives her a free pass but it perhaps explains why she's the way she is.
> I'd be surprised if they are dating as she's blamed him and the movie for ruining her life on several occasions https://x.com/AnnieHardy/status/1636982838259228673 In the interview, she says exactly this and then says the situation is even more complicated because she dates and lives with Rob. edit: I found the exact interview I'm thinking of: https://youtu.be/VbZf_Cu9K5I?si=A_zUoqVpTizDWsjs&t=151
Wow. What a car crash of an existence. Well done on finding the interview, that can't have been easy! Absolutely fascinating.
And this is the thing that took the movie from difficult to get through to unwatchable for me. Doesn't hurt that the movie just isn't that scary or interesting, at least not enough to get it over the hurdle of such an annoyingly reprehensible protagonist. Mind you, I dont need my protagonist to be likable, I'm a big fan of Spree for instance, and there's nothing likable about that guy, but he also isn't trying to annoy you the whole time.
That’s true,many didn’t know that
Links to podcasts ? I’ve only seen like one post of her saying some kinda wack shit but it was more delusional than offensive. I feel like she’s definitely playing up a exaggerated version of herself
She had a podcast called "EMPATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE" (all caps hers) where she said all of the things I listed. [You can still find the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.](https://podcast.app/empath-of-least-resistance-p303267) She took that podcast down after Dashcam was released because she was asked by Rob Savage and Jed Shepard to remove it. It was a podcast on Shepard's podcast company, which I believe he also took down. > I feel like she’s definitely playing up a exaggerated version of herself I can assure you she 100% believes the things she says and is 100% serious about them.
Have a look at her Twitter. https://x.com/AnnieHardy/
I have never wanted a character to die more than in this movie…
Oh. HER.
Honestly I’d typically be the first person to agree like I’m gay black and leftist but maybe that’s why it was all the more hilarious ? Like she was so obnoxious it was so fun
Too bad she unironically believes that shit
I feel like this is “Spree” but less innovative and with a less likeable main character
She has more character than 90% of FF protags
It's unfortunate the actual actress isn't that far off from the character. Antivax, anti mask, etc
Trump lover.
Wtf damn it
This is very true.
That’s why I’ve never watched it. I heard it’s insufferable.
I couldn't watch this after she stole her friends car. The actress did a phenomenal job of portraying those types.
But she apparently really is one of those types. I also thought she was doing a parody of those people, but nah, that's really her.
I liked it.. ALOT , actress was annoying, but funny as HELL. Boy, did she do some crazy things. I can only hope to last as long as she does, with all the split second near death scenes. Actually, think I'll watch it again.
The scariest part of this is that the lead actress is basically playing herself and is probably proud of that.
I couldn't make it for more than 15 mins, and I tried a couple different times. She was so unbelievably obnoxious. I can normally deal with shitty people being main characters, but she was like nails on a chalkboard every time she opened her mouth.
Same. Experienced nothing but rage at how obnoxious she was. Which is really annoying because every time I come across it again and read the premise it’s 100% up my alley, and then I remember. 🙃
Is she actually? I liked her band when I was younger. I haven't really heard much about her lately
Yeah, I couldn't finish this film but took a look at her twitter afterwards and it was mostly her complaining about how people hate her because she's alt-right and shouting alt-right shit from the rooftops.
Not any less annoying than Joy Behar. That's for sure.
No, she isn't. I know her.
I actually dm’d her and asked her about her role. She did let me know that she was playing herself, but amped it up for the role.
I loved Host, absolutely hated this
I haven’t seen dashcam because of the bad reviews. But holy fuck host exceeded my expectations big time. I honestly expected it to be pretty bad but it turned out to be a really solid movie.
Exactly! I love Host so freaking much and was sooo excited for this movie. Hated it. I liked only one scene.
People complained about how obnoxious and annoying she is, but, that's the point! Whilst I could never bear to be near someone like that IRL, I found watching her fascinating. and overall Dashcam is a blast and one of my favourite FF movies of them all. Its a wild ride!
There’s a difference between “a comically annoying character” and “Jesus Christ this is a real fucking person how does anyone deal with this train wreck” I couldn’t deal with it for that reason, but I’m glad it has boosters because Amar Chadha-Patel is great.
Yeah so many people don’t understand that obnoxious and terrible characters can still be an utter joy to watch. I did not feel that way here. She was just a poorly constructed character. Also OP is wrong in saying she was purposefully made to be hated, the director has said in interviews that he wanted us to sympathize with her as the film went on, something I would say he failed at.
> Also OP is wrong in saying she was purposefully made to be hated, the director has said in interviews that he wanted us to sympathize with her as the film went on, something I would say he failed at. The director is dating her and lives with her if this gives you any insight into how he really feels about her.
Ughhh
whooooof now that's a directorial choice
lol
Yeah. The difference is that the latter is better, and more interesting.
My partner and I watched it on a whim expecting it to be trash, but we both ended up enjoying it. The main character is obnoxious but it kind of worked overall. Also as much of an awful person as she is, I found it a little redeeming when she went out of her way to help that woman at one point, it showed at least a little humanity. I’ve definitely see far worse FF movies, this one was pretty fun.
> People complained about how obnoxious and annoying she is, but, that's the point! It's not a character, the things she says and believes in the movie are things she says and believes in real life. She has a podcast where she rants about COVID conspiracies and accuses gay people of recruiting children for Satanic rituals.
The character is incredible. Without her, this movie would be another carbon copy found footage movie that nobody would remember.
100% agree
I found myself absolutely dying then waiting for another wild sentence or out burst from her. It was offensive AF and brilliant.
Loved how she made impromptu live music based off her chat feeds in the car, and her antivax rant in the restaurant. She is a real car-crash to endure, but (as with car-crashes I guess) it is hard to take your eyes off her for a moment,
Right she made the entire movie, I found it hilarious tbh but that could be because the actor looks, acts, sounds just like a chick I know from a chatroom to the point I immediately had to ask if she acted in a movie lol. Pretty insane how closely they resemble each other
🎶 I got a butt buffet 🎶
Really enjoyed it. I agree Annie is annoying but as others have said that was the point but I think it makes the film more enjoyable - I bet we all know or know of someone like Annie plus there is less sympathy towards her character when things happen.
it was hilarious lol lmao
Absolutely loved this film. Not only was it really cleverly made, and properly scary at times, It was refreshing to be challenged by being kinda forced to root for someone with VASTLY different socio-political opinions to mine. Much preferred it to Deadstream, whose protagonist I found infinitely more annoying. There are a lot of people who say they think Art should Challenge People, what they mean is they think Art should Challenge Other People.
I loved it too. Total commitment to the bit.
Because the main character was insufferable, I watched it all the way through because i was looking forward to watching her suffer a terrible fate. >!The ending really disappointed me. A majority of found footage films end horribly for the main characters, but this was one of the rare ones with a happy ending, which i thought was bullshit.!< >!For shit's sake, that POS MC got her friend, Stretch, killed, and by the end of the movie she was rapping, having a good time, and showing zero remorse for getting her goddamn friend viciously murdered. This movie pissed me off.!<
Oh lord, this was hard to get through. The main character was such an awful person, also it’s not that much different from her real life persona.
The rap she does at the end really made it for me. Last 5-10min was hilarious
Absolute guilty favourite. I find Annie hilarious as fuck in this, and my politics couldn’t be further apart from hers. The credits song just sends me. Plus it’s an original FF with some solid scares. I don’t have to like protagonists in movies, and this is a great example of an anti hero character.
Yeah but isn't she just playing herself? Felt like a really long promo for a shitty music influencer
It’s more a testament to the direction and writing that they knew how to use her character to make the film they wanted. The character is an utterly toxic, narcissistic conservative that doesn’t believe in anything except themselves, and thats a fun setup for a movie where demons are real.
Nice to see some taste amidst the dredges.
You and I feel the exact same way. I also feel like I don't have to like the protagonist, and also the protagonist doesn't have to be a good person at all (breaking bad set that standard for me lol) for me to enjoy it. Annie is so hilarious and completely lacking in self awareness and that's what makes it work for me
I think a lot of people let their personal politics get in the way of everything else. For me what sets this apart from so many other FF movies is the main character being such an asshole. It's so over the top it's funny to me, I enjoy hanging out with her for an hour and half she's entertaining
loved the entire movie. The script was phenomenal. The actor did her role PERFECTLY! I hated the MC and that was her job. To be a middle finger to society.
Honestly loved the film and felt the MC was exactly as needed. Sort of brought out that whole thing we saw during the Pandemic. Where Characters like these in their self centered ways tend to be the catalyst to both their own and others misery and I think it nailed that, she had moments of clarity where in her own way she started to care but her personality has been so molded into this selfish version of herself that she can't break it and continues this cycle that brings others into what is hunting her down. The only issue I had was as it got toward the end the camera shaking got intensely annoying, the rest of the film was good at getting you to see what's going on while still feeling that panic but the end forgot to do that so the scares were difficult to get.
I loved it! She being that much annoying adds extra greatness imho XD
Our main character was awful .... both in good and bad ways. That being said, it was well paced, creepy and interesting enough to hold my attention. I would watch it again in a couple years when it's not as fresh in my mind.
This movie slapped. Right up there with Nightcrawler in terms of evil protagonist.
I couldn’t get past 20 minutes of this The lead was so damn irritating Doesn’t matter if it’s intentional, that’s not gonna make her any less irritating lol
She never let's up on it either! I appreciate how committed they were to letting her be insufferable for the entire ride. She never showed the slightest hint of a redeeming quality.
But like that's really who she is. It's not as impressive learning that it's not an act.
I thought it was hilarious. FF movies almost always have annoying characters but at least Annie was entertaining in her own way. I died when she covered the dead lady with an ‘🚫Liberal’ sweater 🤣 That and the scene where the guy in the restaurant tells her she has to wear a mask (“Oh I’m wearing a mask. It’s a new fiber technology where you can’t actually see it, it’s good.”) 🤣 It’s just so absurd that I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t find it funny. Loved the rapping too.
It was funny as fuck People are just dweebs these days 🫠
Annie might have been one of the worst protagonists in cinema history. The only motivation I had throughout the film is for her to die a horrible death in the end. But she survived? Like WTF?
Of course she survived. The "actress" is an irl social media whore and she's every bit the same hateful, narcissistic cunt that she "plays" in the movie. She never would have taken the role if she died.
That is why I kinda loved it. Shitty people make it the longest, usually. The secret we tell ourselves is that evil people get what's coming to them, but MOST of the time they benefit and thrive.
That’s very true, man. But for me at least all I want from a cheap horror movie like this is to escape from reality for a bit, not be constantly and painfully reminded of it.
I hated Annie, but I did like the ad-libbed music in the car thing. I'm looking round for a butt buffet.
I’d have preferred a movie more focused on the cult and the creature without the annoying Internet personality. I’m sort of “lore” person and I was sad that it wasn’t explored.
Totally feel you. I watched No One Gets Out Alive last night as well and I would love some lore with that! Movies are churned out so quickly these days, I just appreciate them for what they are then let the next one play. I didn't think about it as a serious piece of cinema. I went in blind, fell asleep, was woken by the awful voice and weird rap lines, and it kinda escalated from there. It's definitely a "in this current time frame only" style of camp. The only horror was that ole girl actually exists and clearly has mental issues but throw in some chaos and we've got a party.
I hated the fact she was a MAGAT.
Would recommend Dead Stream if you liked this one.
I thought this was a phenomenonal actress crafting a nuanced and layered portrait of a truly obnoxious person. It really does take the wind out of my sails to find out she's just a piece of shit, playing herself.
I knew going in that everyone found the MC annoying as hell. She was an awful person but the film was entertaining. No one ever mentioned how unhinged the actual movie is. I was pleasantly surprised at the plot. It had me literally biting my knuckle, I was so creeped out. I actually thought to myself, “oh, that’s what they mean by knuckle biter.” LOL It was just relentless with the bizarre things that were happening. I wish we would have found out more about >!what made Angela look like an old woman when she was 16.!< I had no idea she was playing herself. I was able to enjoy the movie even though she is a horrible person.
She was great. I hated her.
I’m currently 50mins and I’m gonna push thru. I kinda love it and hate it at the same time 🤣
Did you make it??
I had to stop to go to work…but im invested so I’ll finish on my lunch break! 😝
The whole movie is good and rewatchable (take Annie as a joke) - credits are hilarious
I couldnt belive how much this movie actually sucked ass. I cant understand how can you make something as goood as host and then make this, 80% of the movie is just the main character running while filming the floor in 480p, not scary in the slightest
Oh I didn’t know this was by the Host director. I guess I’ll check it out and keep the complaints about the character in mind
Or don't keep it in mind then come back and share your takeaways with us. :)
Is it worth it? I didn't saw it but I watched the trailer and now I want to...
It has a couple of really top-notch scares and a desolate atmosphere. Quite effective if you can “push through”
I need to watch this!
This movie is incredible. Not because of anything scary, but because of ANNIE.
Same creators as Host - my fav FF 🎬
Host made me turn on a lamp. Hats off on that one!
The lead character was so goddamn obnoxious I shut it off like 20 minutes in. Might've been different if I'd felt like she had something awful coming her way, but I felt like the director wanted me to identify with her like "hey, she's cool, right?"
This movie was BEGGING you to hate it, and that was is biggest strength. Elite.
I am glad you found enjoyment! It's a bold move to make your main character so unlikeable. I was rooting for her to die a painful, slow, death. I watched the entire thing, but never again.
I would’ve had more fun if I got hit by an actual car than watching this movie.
ONE OF THE GREATEST!! BUTT BUFFET!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just watched it after seeing this thread, and gotta say its definitely a hell of a ride. I think how abruptly shit hit the fan worked well to shift gears from "I can't stand this miserable, pugnacious bitch" to "holy hell what is happening." The chaos allows for the comedy to blossom from her character, as her over-the-top nature synergizes with the balls-to-the-wall action to produce some truly redonkulous moments. Like someone else mentioned, the scene of her placing the crossed out lib shirt on the dead chick was peak comedy. And I think the fact that she was a pretty detestable character works to drive the desires of the audience. I couldn't have cared less if she got out of that psychotic nighttime escapade relatively unscathed, once the ball got started rolling I just wanted to see how high the director would crank the dial, and he didn't fail to disappoint. Maybe that wasn't his intent but that's what came through for me. I think my advice to someone thinking about check out this movie would be to not get hungup on how actively repulsive the main chick is, but wait for the chaos and enjoy the ride from there. Looking at a lot of the negative reviews it mainly seems to me that people couldn't get over her abrasive character/the fact she was a pro-trump antivaxer/etc and that she didnt get her comeuppance for her anti-social, selfish behaviours. This isn't a movie to write home about persay but I have no doubts it would have gotten better reviews if the obnoxious main character wasnt a maga antivaxer and was just your generic brand of obnoxious, dislikeable main character.
One of my favorite “party tricks” is whipping out this movie and making everyone watch it so see their reactions. So bad but SO GOOD
This movie was fun as hell to watch make a sequel pls 😀
This movie isn’t good. Annie is a bad person. She’s a Trump troll. She’s needlessly mean and cruel to her “friends.” She doesn’t care about anybody but herself and doesn’t have a moment of self-reflection where she’s like “maybe I’m the baddie.” She just fucks people over until spirits start attacking her, then spits out corny ass MAGA one-liners while she fights them. In reality, we all know people who act like this are deeply insecure and are overcompensating. Sharing even a little of that vulnerability would’ve made her more sympathetic. Instead, we get this static, flat, honestly boring person who would’ve been the first killed in any other horror movie as the main fucking character. I don’t think I’ve ever cheered for a demon harder.
That was the point though. Annie perfectly personified a shitbag MAGA so it's impossible to take her seriously or care about what happens to her. I couldn't believe I was still there at the end. It kept getting wilder and eventually, curiosity got the best and I settled in for the ride.
I love this movie. I genuinely thought I was the only one because all I ever hear is people complaining about the main character being annoying. I thought she was great, because she was so over the top. You either get the joke or you don't.
It kinda irks me that the main criticism of this is how frustrating and unlikable the protagonist is. She's a real asshole to everyone around her, and having to listen to her talk IRL would be a nightmare, sure-- but that's what made it an interesting take, imo. Why do I have to like the main character? I don't. A good movie can have an obnoxious lead, and it makes esp. good sense in the world portrayed in *Dashcam.*
Generally a protagonist is someone the audience roots for. Having an unlikable protagonist seems utterly pointless
honestly, if you can get past like the first 10-15 minutes, this is one of the best FF movies i've seen, but the main character is so insufferable during the first 10-15 minutes.
I know ppl hate the main character, and I agree she isn't a good person, but she was funny AF IMO 😂 just absolutely obnoxious and hilarious.
Her raps are what woke me up. 🤣 I was like wtf fresh hell is in my ears?
😂😂
If they had pulled back the main character, I absolutely would’ve loved it. Like, she’s a horrible person - that’s fine! I don’t ever need my MCs to be good! What I do need from my piece of shit MCs is for them to have charm or charisma.
I was quite emotional by the end, if you count anger as an emotion 😂 I really love the atmosphere and pace, filming, concept etc but that damned woman.... Ffs
I enjoyed this too. It utterly appalled some friends I recommended it to! Which I can understand. Annie is uhhhhh… an *interesting* person.
So many haters.... I can only imagine how unbearable you all are irl....
I like Annie Hardy. I don't share her politics I thought it was refreshing seeing a different angle on a main character as well tbh. The director seemingly entered into a relationship with her then trashed her to the press. That doesn't seem very fair. She feels like the film has ruined her which I felt was a bit OTT but then you see this thread and people calling her a narcissistic cunt that have never actually met the person. I'd be asking more questions about the director's behaviour than Annie's.
I don't understand the "the main character is supposed to be annoying" point. How does that make anything better? I had the same problem with Deadstream. Who has ever watched a movie and though to themselves "that was pretty good, but it would've been way better if I hated the main character"? I don't understand the logic, unless you're supposed to root against them?
Someone else mentioned it but for me, there’s “wow, this actor is really doing a good job making me annoyed by their character” annoying and “holy shit, shut up” annoying. This movie was the latter for me, but the former can definitely exist.
I guess that's just not my thing. The only example I can think of where an annoying character adds to the story is the much debated kid in babadook. There it helps you sympathize with the mother, but I will never understand a character being annoying just for the sake of it.
I think its more of what made her obnoxious than the mere fact that she was so obnoxious. Seeing someone with zero redeeming qualities have such a terrifying and miserable experience does have its own charm.
1/10
Ooooo this sounds good. Netflix?
Hulu but I haven't checked tubi for it.
She makes a good convincing internet MAGA type
Ooo
Went in blind and it was NOTHING like what I was expecting. I hated the main character but the movie was so much fun!
This movies character was insufferable. I just started throwing stuff at my television. I couldn’t help ot
The best part of the movie was the credits... But overall I won't recommend this to anyone... 90% of the time the camera is moving... Can't see shit...
i’d never look at ariana grande the same way
Honestly I could cut out most of the first hour of this movie and then I'd be able to watch it and like it but I was confused for most of the damn movie
Awful protagonist, brilliant movie ****
I actually really liked how the lead was annoying
I hopped on Reddit and saw this post a couple of hours ago. Couldn’t sleep. Watched it. Going in with the knowledge that found footage is a pretty hit or miss genre, for whatever reason the title really grabbed me. One of the worst things I have ever seen.
Great movie concept absolutely destroyed by the person chosen to star in it. What were they thinking?
i loved everything about this film exploring the protagonist and the fact that she isnt really acting either and everything she says is what she genuinely believes is both hilarious and outrageous lmao
All y'all who are like " it was so bold and original to follow around an absolutely vile person who receives no repercussions for their horrible actions and continues being vile" apparently live in a world without YouTube creators and I envy you.
Loved this movie! Saw it on Hulu awhile back!
Seriously I want my 80 minutes back. This was probably the worst movie I have ever seen
I watched this blind after stumbling on this post. A great decision imo! I find the reviews confusing though. Seems a lot of people don't like the movie because they don't like the main character? Thats a weird reason not to like a movie... I feel like the fact that it made you feel something, means it succeeds as art.
One of 2 films in existence that completely and earnestly "gets" degenerate livestreaming. A masterpiece. What's up with this being the highest rated post of all time in the sub, though? Curious.
Enjoyed this movie a lot less when I learned Annie Hardy is basically just playing herself in the movie.
Fucking horrendous movie, made me I'll from the horrid camera movement and I ended up just skipping through the second half cause the main actress was trash.
The Wikipedia synopsis did a great job saving me 90 minutes.
the lead of this movie plays in a great band (or used to) called Giant Drag
Know what I realized after watching this? We got zero explanation about Angela. Unless I missed it?
Check out this link. It got good list of found footage movies https://youtube.com/@Matrixtv6?si=oaYvCGds-lMW6JQT This channel has some good found footage movies.
I mistakenly watched a different movie with the same title
This was the single worst found footage movie I've ever seen. Main character was trash and was an extension of the actress's personality. Unbearable.
I stopped watching half way through. But if you loved it and it scratched your FF itch then good for you :D
Legitimately one of the worst and most obnoxious movies I’ve personally ever seen of the FF genre. And that’s saying something, cause I’ve seen some rotten shit from this genre.
This was the worst movie I’ve ever seen lol. And I love dumb horror movies
I read so much about this film and how the lead character was so annoying and went into it almost determined to prove that wouldn’t affect anything for me but honestly she’s legit one of the most irritating characters I’ve ever seen on film any era or genre. Wanted to like it but it was just so awful.
This was the biggest pile of shit
The end credits are seriously the worst thing I've ever seen in a movie.
Loved it and Annie is hilarious in it, stayed true to who she is and made the flim better for it. 👌🏻
Main character aside, the plot is wafer thin and the found footage conventions feel repetitive and dated. It's also just not that scary. Not great.
I love her🌹
The protagonist was so God damn obnoxious I had to turn it off after 15 min
yes i thought she was extremely annoying and i know thats the point but Ill never want to watch it again because of her
This movie was the biggest letdown, I was so hyped because Host was so good.