Suckers – review

Directors: Brandon Morson & Kenny Pettis Jr.

Release date: 2024

Contains spoilers

When I first sat down to watch this, I was concerned. Clearly a film set in the world of social media influencers, I was concerned that without a level of satirical savvy the film would not be so great.

In truth, I believe it did not have that savvy and works with stereotypes to build character rather than to underpin satire. However, it actually does work in its own way (though it pulls its horror punches) and I found myself enjoying it as a fairly short (69 minute) feature.

attacked

It starts with a woman, unnamed but called Passion (Shira Monae) in the credits, walking through a pretty darn empty office building looking for her booty call. She gets fed up of looking for him when her beau, Howie (Lamar A. Burks), appears. He is the building manager and they are just about to get it on when she hears a noise. He doesn’t hear it first time but then does and goes looking. We see him got POV (but not the actual getting) and then she sees something and is dragged off. In truth the opening seems to have little to do with the film (though I guess the building is meant to be the same as in the film proper).

Max, Freeway and S Dot

We watch Max (Lexi Collins) bathe, get dressed, do her makeup video (she is a beauty vlogger) and then head out to a mixer she has been invited to, for a Young Hollywood Influencer Event. Getting to the event, only Freeway (Kenny Pettis Jr.) is there – a nerdy, game streamer with (we discover) very little social network following. However, in comes S Dot (Suede The Plug), an egotistical streamer-douche with large follower numbers. Next to arrive are Crystal (Zahra Elise) a beauty vlogger and her friend Trinity (Melinda Thompson). The lack of others there might have killed the event but free booze and food (though Crystal orders her own food to be delivered) keep them there.

Luna Star as Serena

Next into the building is Benny (Errol Cummings Jr.), he is famous for a viral TikTok but wants to be more than that and he meets singer Dee Jay (Ajdin Sefer). Dee Jay’s girl, Serena (Luna Star), has organised the event (and is an Only Fans performer). They get to the main room and she takes everyone’s phones. Drinking ensues and then she takes Dee Jay for some rumpy and vamps out and eats him. She manages to get one more before they realise what is going on. They are phoneless… the door to the outside world is locked… A bite turns so there is more than one vampire… the influencers have to survive…

vamp face

The premise is revenge, with Serena wronged via a viral video. Freeway is there as a fall guy (although as they are being turned one wonders what he is a fall guy for) and, of course, she has managed to maintain a relationship with Dee Jay (for how long we don’t know) without him knowing she is a vampire. There isn’t much else story wise and the actors might not have a huge amount to work with but they do, to be fair, manage to inject enough in to keep the viewer's attention. The film stereotypes the influencers but doesn’t manage to make any kind of message about micro-capitalism. This then leads to the issue; the film pulls its punches. We see little in the way of vampire action and staking is done out of camera frame. Practical gore effects would have boosted this film where characterisation and underlying message are missing. 5.5 out of 10 as it doesn’t outstay its welcome and it was surprisingly watchable despite simple story and lack of horror.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On Demand @ Amazon UK