Livescreamers is the sequel to 2020’s Livescream and is about the Janus Gaming team. This diverse team of eight content creators and video game players are super popular online. As they play through the latest horror game together, they’re trapped in a surreal caste that goes after their darkest and most hidden secrets. The only way they can all get out alive is by putting their trust in one another, which is easier said than done.

With game design inspired by Resident Evil, Outlast, Until Dawn and Dead by Daylight that was created on the Unreal Engine, this movie goes beyond found footage to become a “screenlife” found footage slasher.

Directed, written and produced by Michelle Iannantuono, the Janus Gaming team is led by Mitch (Ryan LaPlante) and includes Jon (Christopher Trindade), Taylor (Coby C. Oram), Zelda (Anna Lin), Gwen (Sarah Callahan Black),  Lucy (Neoma Sanchez), Dice (Maddox Julien Slide), Davey (Evan Michael Pearce) and Nemo (Michael Smallwood, Marcus from Halloween Kills), a gamer who is afraid of the audience who is constantly watching the team.

The movie gets into not only the toxicity in the gaming industry, but also in the communities that grow around it online. Yet for these players, they’re doing more than dealing with hurt feelings and ruined online experiences. Each injury their characters endure causes damage in the real world.

Livecreamers is interesting. I spend all day in a virtual office and I’m unsure that I wish to spend my free time in a similar setting, but I enjoyed the film.

Livescreamers was watched as part of The GenreBlast Film Festival which is from August 31 to September 3. All screenings for GenreBlast are held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Winchester, Virginia. Passes are on sale through The Alamo Drafthouse Winchester. Learn more at the official site.