'Dear David' Movie Turns Viral Twitter Thread Into R-Rated Internet Horror
It can be difficult to turn internet lore into a successful horror film, looking at you, Slender Man (2018), but BuzzFeed Studios and Lionsgate's r-rated Dear David movie is actually a solid thriller. First of all, it was immediately endearing to me thanks to lead actor - Augustus Prew - who played Cameron in Blumhouse Television and Hulu's Into the Dark: Midnight Kiss. In Dear David he plays BuzzFeeder Adam Ellis, a cartoonist who accidentally summons a supernatural entity thanks to internet bullying.
Not unlike Zola (2020), Dear David is the adaptation of a viral Twitter (sorry, not calling it X) thread. This one, from director John McPhail (Anna and the Apocalypse), dives headfirst into the supernatural. It all began in 2017, when the then-BuzzFeed illustrator tweeted about a creepy experience he had in his haunted New York City apartment. The entity began appearing when Ellis was in a state of sleep paralysis, so he had no choice but to lay frozen in fear while David terrorized him. Sleep paralysis is a good way to start, because I find the phenomenon so terrifying that I am too afraid to watch documentary The Nightmare (2015), even though it looks really good, lest my anxiety brain to decide that sounds like a fun thing to do.
The entity is called "Dear David," and is described as a creepy dead child with a massive dent in his head. Things quickly escalated from his cats sitting by the front door at midnight each night to Ellis fearing for his life. To make things more compelling, Ellis would share evidence of the haunting with spooky polaroids, audio and visual clips, and illustrations. He covered the haunting on social media as well as at work, and would even ask the BuzzFeed audience what he should do next to deal with the "ghost" - ouija board? bring in a medium? hold an exorcism?
Dear David the movie is a dramatization of these events, creating an anti-bullying/The Omen-esque mythos for David (played by Cameron Nicoll). It follows Ellis' haunted home life, a bit of relationship drama, and his work at BuzzFeed. It's made in part by BuzzFeed Studios, so it makes sense that they used the real name, but it still feels a bit like a gigantic ad for BuzzFeed. The trendy yet actually only cares about numbers media boss - "We're a family here at BuzzFeed!" - Bryce (played by Justin Long) is a valiant effort at being self-deprecating, but just brace yourself for a lot of BuzzFeed and BuzzFeed imagery/catchphrases, etc.
Ellis is not necessarily the clear hero in the movie, telling an internet troll to "die in a fire," and spending far too much time obsessing over his follower count and comments from haters. He's not without charm, however, thanks in part to Prew, and, you know, because "he's relatable af." René Escobar Jr. plays Kyle, the caring and concerned partner doomed to be pushed away, and Andrea Bang is hilarious as Evelyn, the work BFF everybody wants.
Dear David brings to mind other popular internet horror films, like Unfriended (which also involves retribution for bullies) and Host, and has some fun jump scares and creepy imagery. One scene in particular reminded me of a few of the more brutal moments in Host and Talk to Me. Not all of the scares are as effective, however; with a few moments leaving me wanting more.
David's background can be a bit confusing - is he out for revenge on bullies or was he Macaulay Culkin's character in The Good Son from jump? Either way, I can say with conviction that Dear David is a much better adaptation than Slender Man. It's scarier, and has a much more fleshed-out, chronological narrative.
Ghost stories aside, Dear David taps into a very real fear propagated by the inundation of imagery and access thanks to the internet and social media; which is the one that we will never be good enough. No amount of likes, followers, or viral posts can fill the void if we don't believe we are enough. Can it come across a bit cheesy at times? Yes. Does that take away from the very valid and meaningful message? I don't think so, especially in a time like this.
It also shows how dark things can get when you don't take care of your own mental health. You can push people away, slip into dangerous habits and/or self medicating, and forget all of the reasons you have to be grateful and to enjoy in this life.
The ending of Dear David is a bit muddled, but all in all it's a great Friday the 13th watch, especially if you followed the Twitter thread. Creepy kids are a staple of the horror genre, and David's caved-in head and twisted smile demonstrate why.
Dear David will be available in select Theaters, On Digital and On Demand on October 13th!
