Does social media own us? Are our values based on a need for ‘likes’? How far will some people go?
The answer is ‘pretty far’ if the gonzo crime movie Spree is anything to go by. Inspired by Ubers and tubers, the film tells the story of Kurt Kunkle, played by Joe Keery of Stranger Things. Kurt is a young man desperate to be a social media star but whose daily reality is driving for a ride share app called Spree. He decides that he can kill two birds with one stone by rigging up hidden cameras in his car and streaming footage of himself drugging and abducting his fares. And worse… Watch the trailer below.
Then there’s Jessie Adams (Saturday Night Live star Sasheer Zamata). She’s out to put an end to Kurt’s increasingly deranged and deadly activity. One way to do that is for her to tap the Spree app on her phone and book a ride…
Making its debut at Sundance in January, Spree is due for release 14 August in cinemas, where they’re open, and on streaming platforms. Spree has been likened to American Psycho, with embossed business cards replaced by ‘likes’ and ‘views’ as the symbol of success for Kurt. Critics are hailing Keery’s performance for the way he takes Kurt from needy nerd to selfish psychopath and back again. It’s certainly a film that poses some interesting questions…
