There is a fantastic documentary on Shudder right now about found footage and it's inception. For many THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT will always be the "OG". For some they look as far back as THE CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST as the film that really spawned the genre. Regardless of your take it has been in the realm of horror for some tine and even though it's been a lull found footage is starting to get a resurgence. During the pandemic one of the brighter moments in horror was the zoom flick from Rob Savage HOST. His latest feature DASHCAM is more to true style of shakey found footage and is a chaotic ride through political views, face coverings and of course monsters.
I laugh when people say "found footage is hard to watch" because why wouldn't it be. One of the first elements of the genre is to throw a steady cam view out of the mix. Savage speaks to today's audience with the story of a young American woman (musician Annie Hardy) heading to the UK to escape the horrors of the pandemic. She's clearly a Trump advocate as she dons her "Make America Great Again" hat and also confronts everyone she meets on the lie the pandemic is providing. She has a periscope styled channel where she interacts with her fan base as she drives around her car free styling. That's one of the better parts of the film as you grow a love hate relationship with Annie from the start. She meets up with her buddy Stretch (Amar Chandha-Patel) and the two of them embark on a rollercoaster of a night that has them caring for an elderly woman who posses a very dark secret. DASHCAM is how found footage is supposed to be as it never lets the viewer go from the start of the film.
There is no way to take DASHCAM seriously and hopefully you don't so you can see the fun involved. Many food footage films try to emulate the feel of the classics like CLOVERFIELD, THE BAY , REC etc. DASHCAM would have fit in right along those shakey camera features. So if you weren't a fan of the movies from that time period then DASHCAM isn't for you. For those of us who really enjoyed that sequence, DASHCAM works in every way. The effects are definitely up a notch since Savage's last film which really gives the feel of the flick AFFLICTED that took the found footage genre in a completely different fantasy inspired direction. By the time DASHCAM ends the viewer will have the same look on their face as the characters in the film and that never a bad thing.
4/5
DASHCAM hits on demand and theaters on JUNE 3rd.
It is directed by Rob Savage and stars Annie Hardy, Angela Enahoro and Amar Chandha-Patel.