There aren’t any metrics that can differentiate a good film from a bad one. All art is subjective, but I’ve always found that the movies I gravitate towards are the ones that can genuinely surprise you, then keep you thinking about them, even after the credits have finished rolling.
Jexy D – Killer Content Queen
Writer and Director Chris St. Croix and his latest horror/thriller Killer Content released on September 16th and it does just that. It takes on a increasingly popular topic looks at the underbelly of social media. Killer Content focuses on Jexy D (Katie Keene), an influencer who’s amassed a legion of followers. She’s beautiful, she’s enthusiastic, and her brand is all about “following your dreams” and “staying true to who you are”. Anyone who’s been on Instagram or TikTok for 10 minutes will have an idea of who this woman is.
After a deranged fan traumatizes Jexy, she decides to retreat to her grandmother’s cabin to regroup and figure out her next steps. With all she’s recently gone through, her manager (and boyfriend) Kyle (Nathan Freitas) has concerns, but Jexy insists on isolating herself.
Traumatic Stress
Her first night alone, Jexy’s demons come creeping out, followed by the horrific memories of her attacker. It’s enough to force her to walk a tightrope of self-medication until she blacks out. When she comes to, Jexy wakes up with a renewed sense of purpose and ready to get back in front of the ring light.
What planned to be a new video quickly transforms into something more harrowing. First, there’s the man in her kitchen, then there’s the young woman on her porch. Megan (Casey Casmira, in her first feature role) is a fangirl who wants to create killer content and be internet famous, and she wants Jexy’s help to get there. Jexy recognizes the potential danger immediately, but when Megan begins to crack and starts screaming in her face, Jexy tries to escape, only to be tazed into unconsciousness.
Where to Watch Killer Content
Jexy awakens to her wrists chained to the floor. Megan is still living in her delusion and hopeful that Jexy’s help will make her famous. When Kyle arrives unexpectedly, it looks as if Jexy will be freed, but we’re hardly halfway through this thriller. Enter stage right, Megan’s boyfriend, Donnie (Diego Gomez). He is the psychotic Clyde to Megan’s insane Bonnie, and he removes the Kyle problem in cold-blooded fashion before vowing to Jexy that there’s more where that came from, if she can’t help Megan achieve the stardom and all the money that comes with it…
Killer Content is… Killer
Killer Content brings anxiety-inducing action and face-to-face tension the rest of the way, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. Even if I said what happened, the emotional impact is what delivers and makes this a “must-watch”. It’s an examination of the dark side of social media and the horror that can come hand-in-hand with fame in a way that makes audiences question who they should really be rooting for.
There are no winners when being loved anonymously by strangers is the goal. It’s a phenomenon that the world has only had to grapple with the last few decades, but one that’s here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Clicking “Follow” may be free but creating a brand that brings you fame and fortune incurs a heavy cost, and “following your dreams” has a way of revealing anyone’s worst nightmares.
One Response
What a killer review! It means a lot for an indie like us, with no big studio or promo budget behind us, when people enjoy the film and help us get the word out. Huge thanks!