‘Enjoy your fifteen minutes of fame. You deserve it.’
Mean Spirited is a 2022 American comedy horror film about a wannabe influencer who aims to bury the hatchet with his now-celebrity friend who isn’t quite himself anymore. The filmmakers describe it as a “vlogumentary”.
Directed by Jeff Ryan (Mass Hysteria; Youthmin) from a screenplay co-written with co-producer Joe Adams. Also produced by Owen Williams and Jacob Andres Padilla. Executive produced by Shaked Berenson and Gerry Pass.
The First-Names Films production stars Michelle Veintimilla (Gotham), Neville Archambault (13 Camera; The Block Island Sound), Will Madden (Beast Beast), Daniel Rashid (Beast Beast), Will Martin (Youthmin), Maria DeCotis (Euphonia) and Charlie Pollock (The Good Wife).
Release:
Mean Spirited will be released by The Horror Collective On-Demand and Digital on February 7, 2023.
Reviews:
“Both Ryan and Will Madden as Andy are outstanding performances, giving nuance to characters in lesser hands, which would look hammy. Mean Spirited also has plenty of twists and turns and odd, blink and you’ll miss moments that only hit the mark in found footage films […] this is a real gem.” Bloody Flicks
“Director Jeff Ryan attempts to build a sense of impending doom throughout but fails because the characters are so irritating that it’s hard to care about their fate. Mean Spirited may have worked better as a 30-minute short. But in opting to stretch out a relatively thin story and even thinner characters, Ryan’s movie becomes a highly irritating experience that fails as both a comedy and a horror.” 1.5 out of 5, Cinerama Film
“An aura of mystery hangs over the first two acts, leaving the final one to take on the majority of the exciting action, and the carefully choreographed biggest laughs of the movie. A unique take on one’s typical possession flick, Mean Spirited injects an Evil Dead vibe filtered through a subtler, Blair Witch-style technique. If that sounds like your cup of tea, it may be time to subscribe to Andy’s Mean Spirited vlog.” 3 out of 5 stars, Josh at the Movies
“There’s been a recent trend of seeing influencers/vloggers having a rum time of things within the horror genre, with both recent releases Sissy and Greywood’s Plot running on a similar track, but for my money this has been the most fun to view. Ryan builds up the tensions within the group brilliantly, there’s never ever moments that it lulls, it’s fast, funny and the most fun I have had watching any flick these past twelve months.” 10 out of 10, My Bloody Reviews
“Just how much viewers can tolerate a group of Jackass-type twentysomethings and their clique will be a test for some, but the cast members do a solid job with their portrayals, and Ryan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Adams, successfully takes the film to some dark, surprising places.” 3 out of 5, The Scariest Things
” …I’m not a big fan of found footage films – so it’s rather refreshing that Mean Spirited takes a very loose approach to that approach and doesn’t let it stand in the way of proper storytelling – and actually this film has much to offer, it successfully blends horror thriller with comedy, gets its chills but also its laughs from all the right places, and drives its story forward rather nicely.” Search My Trash
Trailer:
Related:
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