(REVIEW) TERROR FILMS RELEASING’S "THE PSYCHIC: FILES" Makes Going Viral Deadly
Courtesy of Terror Films Releasing
Social media and found footage are quickly becoming one of horror’s most popular partnerships. Livestreams, influencers, viral challenges, and the constant need to capture everything on camera fit naturally into a genre built around the idea that someone kept recording when they absolutely should have stopped. I understand why filmmakers keep returning to it, but I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of the trend (though I am slowly coming around). The influencer angle has become so common that it can sometimes feel like the easiest excuse for why characters willingly walk into terrible situations with a camera in hand to show their POV. Thankfully, "The Psychic: Files" finds enough supernatural horror, bloody discoveries, and genuine weirdness to make me enjoy the ride far more than I expected.
Written and directed by Wes Clark, "The Psychic: Files" follows two ambitious streamers who break into the home of a psychic hoping to capture something shocking enough to send their views through the roof. Unfortunately for them, they succeed. I am always a fan of the idiots in horror movies. Without them, we wouldn’t have the horror movies we enjoy, so I proudly applaud their stupidity being the catalyst for scary situations. What begins as another reckless attempt at viral fame quickly becomes something far more dangerous when they discover that the spirits inside the house may be controlled by an even more sinister presence.
The film stars Shelby Latterman, Jason Dezik, and Amanda Schoonover. It uses its livestream perspective to explore something especially fitting for modern horror: the strange comfort we find in being watched. Thousands of people might be following along from behind their screens, but when something genuinely terrible happens, that audience suddenly becomes little more than a collection of usernames and comments. It is an interesting idea, and the found-footage format gives the movie an appropriately voyeuristic feeling. This movie has moments where it works very well, but “Deadstream” does it better.
'The Psychic: Files' benefits from not being confined to its social media gimmick. Once supernatural elements come into play, the film becomes much more engaging, allowing the story to go beyond merely chasing views and into truly strange territory. I appreciate that it maintains a fast pace and quickly delivers the terrifying moments. While I enjoy slow burns, they can lose my interest if they drag on too long. However, if the payoff is substantial, I find it worthwhile, and this movie successfully stays focused throughout. The storyline can feel scattered, with several ideas competing for attention instead of flowing naturally into one another. I also wanted more backstory on the central characters and their relationship. Developing that connection further would have made some of the later revelations and emotional moments carry more weight. There is enough to understand the dynamic, but a little more time establishing why these characters matter to one another could have strengthened the story.
Even with those issues, the mystery kept me curious about what was actually happening inside the house. The film delivers several enjoyable surprises along the way, including a nice twist that adds another dimension to what initially seems like a straightforward paranormal setup. It never completely fixes the uneven narrative, but it does make the bigger picture considerably more interesting.
Courtesy of Terror Films Releasing
The gore is another welcome surprise. "The Psychic: Files" is not afraid to get messy when the story calls for it, and some of its bloodier moments provide exactly the kind of payoff you want after spending so much time wandering through dark rooms waiting for something horrible to happen. The practical nastiness also gives the later portions of the movie a little extra personality.
Things get especially fun toward the end, when the movie begins revealing just how bizarre the situation inside the house really is. Without spoiling what is waiting down there, the atmosphere started giving me flashes of "The People Under the Stairs". It isn’t trying to imitate that film, but it has a similar feeling: you enter a house expecting one type of nightmare and discover something stranger hiding behind the walls. That unexpected shift was easily one of my favorite parts of the movie. They knew this movie needed to make its own mark in the found-footage world, and they did it well.
Knowing that "The Psychic: Files" is intended to be the first chapter in a continuing series from 741 Films also makes some of its bigger ideas intriguing. There are pieces of mythology introduced here that could become much more compelling if future stories expand upon them, especially now that this first installment has established the kind of strange territory the series is willing to explore. I will also never turn down an opportunity to check out a horror anthology series.
Courtesy of Terror Films Releasing
"The Psychic: Files" could certainly benefit from a tighter storyline and stronger character development, but its flaws never completely overwhelmed what worked for me. There are some effective supernatural moments, a clever twist, surprisingly good gore, and a final stretch that confidently embraces the weirdness of its premise.
Considering I normally see the words "influencer found-footage movie" and immediately prepare myself for ninety minutes of bad decisions and screaming into a phone, I had a much better time with this one than I expected. "The Psychic: Files" may begin with characters desperately trying to create something worth watching, but once the house starts revealing its secrets, the movie becomes exactly that.
"The Psychic: Files" from Terror Films Releasing is now available on Tubi, Chilling, The Roku Channel, Fandango at Home, and additional streaming platforms.
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