Dashcam (2022)

In Dashcam, the follow-up to Host, viewers watch Annie Hardy, an anti-vaxxer troll, through her live-streamed antics that eventually put her in danger.

Dashcam is shot primarily through cellphone footage and a car dashcam. Annie sets the narrative from the beginning: she's crass, an inexperienced freestyle rapper, and beyond fed up with the COVID-19 pandemic. She flees the states with her conspicuous red MAGA hat to visit her ex-bandmate Stretch and his girlfriend. She's characterized by Annie as constantly nagging and overbearing, making the viewers question Annie's intentions for the movie.

This Blumhouse production contains excellent gore and an original story involving an elderly lady possessed by a dark force. Still, it is difficult to enjoy the film because its cast is so unappealing. The real-life Hardy is identical to the caricature character of the movie. Annie is an entitled woman who acts up toward a restaurant worker who asks her to wear a mask, then steals a car after being asked to leave a couple's house. She flaunts her lifestyle through her clothes and belongings. Anybody using Twitter can quickly discover that the character and the actor are the same. Annie further discourages people by telling them to stay away from "woke kids." She also finds posts marked as "misleading" and shares them with her followers. She even has her own beatboxing livestream.

Hardy is the primary focus of Dashcam and is rarely off-screen since the film is shot from her character's perspective. As things go wrong, it becomes clear that she will be the movie's "final girl" and that viewers will be stuck with her for the entirety of its 77 minutes. Although she may appear to be innocuous and entertaining at first, the revelation of the performer's private life shatters this facade. This understanding is encouraged by the production team, which allows the actor and character to share the same name. Nevertheless, it's a disquieting decision, exacerbated by the negative portrayal of the characters taking precautions against COVID-19 from Annie's point of view.

Approximately thirty minutes into the film, Annie steals Stretch's car. She decides to make a few food deliveries when a restaurant worker accosts and asks her to transport an unconscious older woman named Angela. Annie does not want to do it and, in a strange moment of chivalry, accuses the worker of sex trafficking.

Although the worker offered no justification, the livestreamer was quickly bribed with a large sum of money and continued with Angela. As the evening progressed and a few mishaps were attributed to Angela's inexperience, Stretch tracked them down, and they eventually arrived at their destination. Unfortunately, the trip is derailed by a series of strange events that purposely target the group. Angela disappears and reappears amid the chaos, constantly following the group. Annie makes most of the commentary, which is a shame given Stretch's more sympathetic and rational nature.

Aside from the character Annie, the movie is driven by the ebb and flow of the livestream viewers' comments, which are visible on the side of the screen. This function served as cheap entertainment in the beginning but eventually became annoying. Viewers of live streams know to mute the commentary when things get interesting.

Dashcam is thrilling, even at its most chaotic moments. Viewers are left with no idea what will happen next, making it a delicious short film. It's a bloody mess of a movie that will leave audiences nauseated and their meals uneaten. However, it offers no relief from its dark themes and fails to connect its social commentary with the rest of the story. The divisive bits will likely add to the film's shock value, and it will be remembered as one of the most controversial horror films in recent years. What is the tipping point when we ignore our ethical standards for mindless entertainment? How well does a movie have to be for us to detach from its harmful aspects? Unfortunately, Dashcam doesn't provide a clear answer to either question.