Joe Keery stars as Kurt Kunkle, a young man willing to do anything for his share of Internet stardom in Eugene Kotlyarenko’s chilling thriller. “Spree” is a chaotic satire that makes for a unique commentary on today’s influencers and the dark side of being Internet famous. On top of the film’s social media-focused subject matter, a quick search on YouTube and Instagram turns up a treasure trove of extra clips and bits of Keery in character as Kurt.
Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery) is a 23-year-old from Los Angeles, California who spends his days working as a driver for an Uber-like app known as Spree. Kurt’s craving for social media stardom has been a side project of his for many years, partaking in popular trends like the YouTube trend ‘Draw My Life,’ and creating his own videos for his non-existent fan base. However, his desire for fame will lead him down a dark and twisted path as audiences get to see what happens when one man’s hunger for popularity pushes him to the extreme.
A Satire on Today’s Social Media Influencer Craze
Not only does the character of Kurt Kunkle resemble many of the unknown influencers on social media today, but he also takes inspiration from other mass murderers including Elliot Rodger and Uber driver Jason Dalton. “Spree” introduces audiences to a character that is both naïve and calculated, carrying out horrific murders on the streets of Los Angeles.
Perhaps what makes Kurt such a unique character is the fact that Joe Keery’s charm shines through and makes him a somewhat likable character, despite being an unbearably cringey counterpart to some of the smaller influencers online. Keery’s performance is a total 180 degrees from his portrayal of fan-favourite “Stranger Things” character Steve ‘The hair’ Harrington. His turn here as a crazed killer holds your attention entirely across the 93-min run-time in a performance that is chilling, unhinged, and creepily funny.
Alongside Keery stars “Saturday Night Live” alumni Sasheer Zamata and Kyle Mooney, as well as “Scream” star David Arquette. The best part of Zamata’s performance as comedian Jessie Adams comes during an intense scene with Keery towards the end of the film where Kurt kidnaps her—intending to kill her—but Jessie fights back in a desperate attempt to save her life.
A Commentary on Fame from Tragedy
“Spree” is one of the better social-media focused films to come out of Hollywood in recent years. Split screens that show different points of views during a scene and editing that tricks the audience. This makes “Spree” a film that puts a unique and bloody twist on a premise seen one too many times before. Kotlyarenko creates an atmosphere that makes the film increasingly stressful and chaotic as it progresses, and as Kurt gets more and more unhinged and detached from reality.
In addition to the main character taking inspiration from real people, “Spree” also makes use of things we see in real life, including the idolisation of murders/criminals (as shown in the closing scenes when Kurt is obsessed by people on websites like 4Chan and Reddit), and the idea that some celebrities use tragic events they’re involved in as a way to propel their careers. It also comments on how some people gain fame from their involvement in tragic events.
Despite all this, “Spree” can’t help but feel like it’s supposed to deliver a bigger message about social media and the potential dangers. Quite possibly one of the most disturbing scenes of the film is when Kurt brutally runs over ultra-rude passenger Mario (John DeLuca) when he gets out of the car to pee. If the ruthless murder wasn’t horrific enough, the hyper-pop song “I’m A Gummy Bear” by Gummibär plays over the course of the entire sequence.
Seeking Fame—What Could Go Wrong?
The idea of people going to the extremes for their slice of fame, like Kurt does, isn’t exactly a new thing in the ever-expanding world of influencers and celebrities. People like David Dobrik and Jake Paul are prime examples of people going the extra mile in their quest for social media stardom. However, neither actually killed anyone, though Dobrik’s antics did cause fellow influencer Jeff Wittek to sustain a plethora of injuries after making him to slam into the side of an excavator after a stunt went horribly wrong. In that vein, “Spree” is just another example of how far some will go to be famous.
All in all, “Spree” is an interesting film that tells an over-told story of the desire for fame, but Eugene Kotlyarenko puts a refreshing twist on it, bringing audiences a chaotic 90-minute film that thoroughly entertains. Lead by a strong performance from Joe Keery, “Spree” is one of the better films about social media, joining the likes of films like “Ingrid Goes West” and “Mainstream,” with the latter happening to star Keery’s “Stranger Things” co-star Maya Hawke opposite Andrew Garfield.
“Spree” is available to stream on Hulu via subscription and to rent or watch on most other streaming networks.
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