Movies of War

Bodycam attempts to evolve the found footage genre with a bold story that finds horror in everyday and occult places, yet struggles to maintain momentum. Horror’s found footage subgenre is designed to be an intimate portrayal of reality. It wants the audience to forget that they’re watching a movie, and the very best found footage horror movies manage to accomplish this magic trick, if only for brief moments. It’s been rewarding to watch the escalating nature of found footage’s evolution as it’s pushed to ambitious new places that find creative ways to use technology as an immersive storytelling tool. The genre has grown increasingly subversive with ambitious titles like One Cut of the Dead, The Taking of Deborah Logan, “screenlife” films like Unfriended and Searching, or any entry in the V/H/S franchise. Found footage’s intent may be to create the illusion of reality. However, we’re entering an age where “reality” has become increasingly fluid and obfuscated. Real life is now immediately couched in challenging skepticism due to the power and prevalence of deepfake technology and other forms of media manipulation. These developments present some fascinating opportunities for found footage, especially when the alleged truth is filtered through trusted norms that are meant to be seen as safety nets. The most successful found footage movies condition the audience to question what they see and what’s real, but this has now become a necessary component of media dissemination. Bodycam takes advantage of the truth’s murky nature in a subversive horror film that simultaneously provokes a raw wound in society and unleashes a surreal, supernatural threat. Brandon Christensen‘s latest begins in a harrowing place that presents an uncomfortably real situation. Two police officers, Officer Bryce (Sean Rogerson) and Officer Jackson (Jaime M. Callica), respond to a domestic dispute where an intense situation and a trigger-happy mentality result in a tragic shooting. The cops’ efforts to erase the incriminating bodycam footage suddenly become the least of their problems when a paranormal presence seeks retribution. Bodycam separates itself from other found footage ventures by having something to say on the topic of police brutality and the “ACAB” narrative. It’s an inspired combination of medium and theme. Christensen has delivered increasingly impressive and ambitious work between Night of the Reaper, Still/Born, and The Puppetman. Bodycam takes the biggest swings yet and kicks off with a harrowing prologue that could work as its own short film or V/H/S/ segment. In fact, the closest reference point is an ahead-of-its-time X-Files episode, “X-Cops,” that’s a COPS crossover. A run-of-the-mill COPS episode suddenly begins to chase after supernatural entities, which is not dissimilar to Bodycam’s genre-blending stylistic structure. Its most successful moments are born out of its skewed buddy cop dynamic and the contrasting ways in which Bryce and Jackson respond to the film’s catalyst. These officers have clashing points of view that lead to extreme behavior. It’s a powerful examination of grief, responsibility, and ego. The film transforms into a moving character study as these two officers are put in an impossible situation at two in the morning and then are left to spiral and panic. These officers’ descent into darkness also functions as a commentary on belief, religion, and redemption, while also digging into the generational pain that’s linked to parenthood and legacy. There’s no doubt that Jackosn and Bryce are under attack by actual demonic forces, but they’d still be haunted even if they weren’t. Bodycam is such an effective subversion of the found footage genre because it gradually eases into progressively paranormal material as it goes on. Some of these setpieces work better and feel more natural than others, but they’re implemented with the right pacing. The film’s second half is shaggier than the first, but it still conjures dread that occasionally feels like the characters have wandered into hell itself. It actually feels like it could be a stealth Silent Hill film with how it taps into the same sense of existential, suffocating anxiety. The audience is bombarded with alarming visuals that feel lost between reality and the surreal. The film’s central stylistic conceit may not work for everyone, but Bodycam doesn’t overstay its welcome at only 75 minutes long. That being said, it still occasionally grows repetitive and falls into a pattern. The middle section, in particular, gets lost in unnecessary chaos. Bodycam could stand to be 10 minutes tighter and develop a whole new set piece that breaks up the rhythm once it starts to drag on. Nevertheless, there’s a propulsive story that barrels ahead like a bullet from a gun. Bryce and Jackson’s saga concludes with a captivating and chaotic ending that bookends Christensen’s latest with its strongest material. Bodycam has its share of concessions, and it doesn’t always work. However, the sequences in which everything comes together are sublime. This uncomfortable found footage film finds the perfect story to tell that pushes the audience to live in touchy territory while they’re left to reckon with what they’re seeing and where the truth lies. The film’s twisted lens creates plausible deniability so that the viewer is just as lost in doubtful uncertainty as the leading players in this paranormal parable. It’s a powerful project that implicates the audience in something that’s much bigger than a found footage horror film, yet some viewers may prefer better scares and storytelling than poignant, reflective messaging. Bodycam begins streaming on Shudder on Friday, March 13. Related Topics:BodycamBrandon Christensenfound footageShudder Daniel Kurland Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, whose work can be read on Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, ScreenRant, and across the Internet. Daniel knows that "Psycho II" is better than the original and that the last season of "The X-Files" doesn't deserve the bile that it conjures. If you want a drink thrown in your face, talk to him about "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II," but he'll always happily talk about the "Puppet Master" franchise. The owls are not what they seem. 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