MY FIRST HORROR FILM is a new horror movie out on VOD. This is a Found Footage Horror Movie but only to a point. It’s also very meta and uses social media to tell its story as the main character is a YouTuber.
Also, and this is definitely a saving grace, it is a horror comedy which can help excuse and explain some choices. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much for the execution. This leaves something to be desired.
With My First Horror Film, we follow the aspiring YouTuber as she builds her channel and hopes to make a breakthrough as an actor in a horror movie.
She’s celebrating getting to her first ten (10!) subscribers and it’s a sweet and funny opening to the movie. And then she does land a role in the movie, which leads to the title as it is her first horror film.
Unfortunately for her, this dream will turn into a nightmare when a real-life killer starts targeting her fellow cast mates. However, I have to say that while this is the concept, the execution is very light on the concept.
The timeline of what happens on the set is all over the place and the deaths of her cast mates happen largely off-camera. Not what you’d expect from a horror movie.
My First Horror Film had a good film festival run. It managed to grab awards at the Stockholm City Film Festival, Underground Indie Film Festival, Diabolical Horror Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Crime and Horror Film Festival.
That’s exactly what you’d want to accomplish with your debut. And writer-director Shihan Van Clief is a first-time filmmaker. This could help excuse (or explain) some of the choices that might not have been ideal for viewers.
The movie stars Georgina Navarro (Fade), Chauntice Green (9-1-1: Lone Star), Justyn Franco (The Nexus), Stephan O’Shea, Joy Marie Thomas (Ballers), and Miles Crawford (Euphoria).
I really adored the whole meta-layer of having the characters known by their function. We get characters known only as “Girlfriend”, “Black guy”, “Jock” and also “Director” or “Wardrobe”.
Even the friend of “Lead” who does her best to warn her friend not to do this movie has a nifty character title. Also, make sure you stick around for the end credits, which are entertaining and informative.
My First Horror Film was written and directed by Shihan Van Clief and there is clearly passion for the project there. It’s a matter of “kill your darlings” and making the storytelling tighter.
The runtime is just 1 hour and 27 minutes, which is good, but there are still some scenes that could’ve been cut. Or cut shorter, at the least. I was entertained but also found myself baffled at certain decisions.
For one, you never really see a death. I can only assume it’s to avoid showing it, so budget restraint is the explanation.
However, there are passionate special effect make-up artists who would surely have loved to take part in an indie project like this. For me, it would’ve made a positive difference and made me ignore other issues.
My First Horror Film is out on VOD on August 13, 2024.
