One Star Classics : Untitled Horror Movie

Untitled Horror Movie

Aug 15, 2021 / Found Footage Film

Here’s a small movie that isn’t going to garner a lot of attention – the little it has seen has been less than favorable, but I still feel is worth a watch. Directed by the man behind the amusing Girl in the Photographs, Nick Simon, Untitled Horror Movie is a film more comedic than anything else, shot using iPhones and FaceTime. A movie well suited for its era, in other words.

We follow six actors whose TV show is on the verge of cancellation. To prevent the producers from locking them into a non-compete contract, they decide to shoot a horror movie (edgily called Untitled Horror Movie) based on an incarnation they find online. As it turns out, the summoned spirit is real and a violent one at that.

This might all sound sort of generic, largely because it is. But while the premise is well-trodden, Untitled Horror Movie’s dialogue and characters feel fresh. Self-centered actors might not be a groundbreaking concept in itself, but six of them on screen at the same time? It ups the fun factor.

The group’s banter reflects their shared narcissism, and as they one-by-one start going through unexplainable situations, the others suspect only oneupmanship is at play.

The malevolent spirit might not be scary, but as a source of comedic relief, it brings a welcomed levity to a tired trope.

Untitled Horror Movie was co-written (and co-stars) Luke Baines, who, other than appearing in the aforementioned Girl in the Photographs, also had a small part in the criminally ignored Under the Silver Lake. In those, as well as any other film I’ve seen him in, he has portrayed unsettlingly creepy individuals. It’s nice to see him for once do comedy and also do it well at that.

I enjoyed the movie. It’s not groundbreaking, but as far as being a fun, mindless watch, I recommend it more than seemingly most others do.

By Remi, Aug 15, 2021

Letterboxd summary: Set on computer screens and found footage style content, the movie follows six actors who decide to shoot their own horror movie as their hit TV show is on the brink of cancellation. In their search for a plot, they unintentionally summon a spirit with an affinity for violence, who starts picking them off one by one.