Influencer horror is becoming almost synonymous with found footage nowadays and while some of these films stand out, like DEADSTREAM and LIVESCREAMERS, a lot of these films end up being as annoying as the influencers they are emulating. However, at its Popcorn Frights premier, Luke Genton’s CHATEAU falls somewhere in between these two categories. The film is not quite a standout in the subgenre but brings enough of its own voice to the table that I would hit like and subscribe to it.
Fresh off the death of her mother, James (Cathy Marks) refuses to go home for the funeral—or even acknowledge the death affects her at all. Though the rest of her family lives in the States, James currently lives in France; she uses this distance as a way to escape her past. With no real job prospects and no goals or desires other than to have a successful YouTube channel, she wants the fame of the internet, but she also wants to figure out who she is and what actually makes her happy. She spent so much of her life living for someone else, so now she plans to live for others via the internet.
James plays a very believable role as she perfectly encapsulates the vapid and self-centered approach to being an influencer. She has a permanent smile sparkle in her eye, but very little intellect or reasoning behind her bright and beaming face. Murder Castle is a sprawling eight-bedroom estate that will obviously take James a long time to clean, but instead of getting to work, she mounts a camera to herself and goes exploring for likes. James is essentially a one-woman film crew because she carries two cameras at all times. One camera is aimed forward to get a POV shot, and another aimed at her face, so her followers can see her facial reactions. Not only does the film comment on how many influencers are shallow and without any real talent, it also comments on how fake this breed of entertainers can be.
And along with falling into an incredibly stereotypical depiction of an influencer, CHATEAU also follows some very predictable horror tropes. A young woman is asked to enter a spooky castle all by herself, and a harbinger (Fleur, played by Rachel Tran) warns James of her impending doom (all while giving a fair amount of exposition in the meantime). After getting no attention for her travel videos, she re-brands herself as a ghosthunter after getting a cleaning gig at the infamous local Murder Castle. The legends surrounding the chateau actually don’t include any murders because everyone who supposedly died at the castle was never found.
James is not completely alone in her mission to go viral, as her new bestie Dash (Colton Tran) is by her side. The interactions between James and Dash as they tease and try to scare each other are kind of endearing and make the characters more tolerable as they behave like real best friends; nothing is off limits when it comes to insults or making your friend uncomfortable. And their humorous antics definitely create a false sense of security, so when the creepy starts, it hits a little harder than if the movie had been playing it spooky since the beginning.
CHATEAU might not go viral in the found footage genre, but it’s worth a follow for those who enjoy a decent scare. The characters are believable enough to keep you subscribed, and the spooky house could easily build its own fanbase. However, the film’s two storylines (an influencer trying to boost their clout in a haunted house and ghosts from the protagonist James’ past) don’t quite sync up, which causes the narrative to lose some of its engagement. The “dead mother” subplot, while intended to drive James’ haunted behavior, often feels like clickbait that’s over the top and a bit too cheesy to keep you fully invested. But despite these missteps, CHATEAU is a watchable entry in the genre, though it’s unlikely to trend as a top pick among found footage fans.
Tags: Cathy Marks, Chateau, Colton Tran, Deadstream, Film Festivals, Found-Footage, influencer horror, Livescreamers, Luke Genton, Popcorn Frights, Popcorn Frights 2024, Rachel Tran
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