8 Movies Like Spree You Love to Watch
If Spree got you fascinated with the social media obsession and the quest for online fame, then you’ll want to check out these other films in this dark comedy genre. 2020’s Spree is a horror-comedy directed by Eugene Kotlyarenko and written by Kotlyarenko and Gene McHugh. Joe Keery plays Kurt Kunkle, a rideshare driver who takes an extreme interest in social media visibility and follower count.
Kurt starts livestreaming his exploits as he drives and picks up passengers, hoping to capture the attention he wants. His efforts quickly cross the line from extreme to extremely dangerous as he becomes more fixated on his online celebrity.
The unforeseen introduction of Jessie Adams, played by Lala Kent, adds a new wrinkle to Kurt’s plans and disrupts his newfound sense of control. If you enjoyed Spree for its dark humor and extreme characters, here are eight other films you should consider watching.
1. The House That Jack Built:
This movie explores similar themes as Spree, but takes a darker, more disturbing approach. Both focus on characters with dangerous inclinations and make you privy to their warped lines of thinking. Fans of the eerie side of Spree need to check out The House That Jack Built.
2. Ingrid Goes West:
Matt Spicer’s Ingrid Goes West, written with David Branson Smith, is a black comedy-drama. Aubrey Plaza plays Ingrid Thorburn, an unhealthily obsessive woman who idolizes Instagram influencer Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen).
Taylor’s Instagram account captures Ingrid’s interest, so she relocates to LA to meet her idol in person. Swiftly crossing the line from obsessive fandom to dangerous stalking, Ingrid takes radical measures to keep Taylor in her life.
Both Ingrid and Kurt’s obsessions with celebrity idols reflect the dangerous side of social media that Spree and Ingrid Go West both touch on. Where Spree focuses on the lust for social media fame, Ingrid Goes West zeroes in on the social media need for connection.
3. The Social Network:
David Fincher, with Aaron Sorkin, brings to life the early days of Facebook in the biographical drama The Social Network, with Jesse Eisenberg portraying Mark Zuckerberg.
Though it deviates from the horror/thriller genre like Spree, the film ties closely to social media. It explores the boundaries of relationships, goals, and everyday life, especially in the context of the internet and a social networking site.
Folks who’ve seen Spree may also like The Social Network because both movies use technology and online culture in their narratives. The Social Network centers on the creation of a major social platform, whereas Spree shows how an individual can become obsessive and dangerous about streaming online.
4. Not Okay:
Not Okay is a dark comedy, written and directed by Quinn Shephard. Zoey Deutch plays Danni Sanders, a person obsessed with becoming famous and important in the online world. Danni creates a fake social media story and tells the world she is traveling and exploring Paris. Of course, Danni’s lie blows up in her face when a terrorist attack happens in Paris, and people think that she is in danger.
Not admitting the truth to anyone, Danni continues her charade, and the lie spirals out of control and becomes increasingly dangerous. Like Spree, Not Okay shows the dangerous and obsessive nature of an individual’s desire for social media fame and the consequences that arise when a person is consumed by how many followers they have and online debuts.
5. The Social Dilemma:
The Social Dilemma is a documentary directed by Jeff Orlowski, written by Orlowski, Davis Coombe, and Vickie Curtis. The documentary shows how social media platforms manipulate users and how being online can consume a person to the point that it adversely affects their mental and emotional well-being.
Spree uses a different storytelling style, but the two documentaries share an important similarity. Both show how social media can influence a person’s behavior and create a situation where real-life consequences don’t matter as long as they gain online attention. If you’re interested in the social media side of Spree, The Social Dilemma goes deeper into the topic.
6. The Hater:
The Hater is a Polish psychological thriller from 2020. Directed by Jan Komasa, it is written by Mateusz Pacewicz. It follows Tomasz Giemza, a law student who gets involved with a public relations firm.
Tomasz learns that social media can be used to spread fake news, manipulate public opinion, and create discord. He then uses these methods himself, but subjects soon begin to threaten him.
The film shows how social media can target and manipulate people, a theme Spree also touches on.
7. Mainstream:
Gia Coppola’s Mainstream is a dark comedy-drama. It follows Frankie, a young woman who aspires to become a filmmaker.
Her world is turned upside down when she meets Link, an unsettling yet electrifying character played by Andrew Garfield. The two begin making videos, and Frankie quickly gains popularity.
However, Frankie discovers that Link is far more disturbing than she first thought.
Like Spree, Mainstream focuses on internet celebrity, online persona creation, and the extreme measures people take to gain online adulation. The film also explores the malevolent side of being an influencer and the pernicious social media fame game.
8. Untraceable:
Released in 2008, Untraceable is a psychological crime thriller film directed by Gregory Hoblit. The film stars Diane Lane as FBI agent Jennifer Marsh, who investigates a website called KillWithMe.com.
KillWithMe.com, as Marsh discovers, is a website where victims are streamed being tortured and killed. Marsh’s investigation reveals that the site gains more viewers the faster the victims die, thus creating a cruel cycle that must be broken.
Like Spree, both films focus on crime driven by an online audience and facilitated by technology. Both films depict killers manipulating an online audience to participate in crime willfully.
Final Words:
For a different take on social media, internet fame, and the malicious intent of online culture, Spree offers an intriguing starting point. Other films, including The House That Jack Built and Untraceable, offer a more disturbing and grim take. Ingrid Goes West, Not Okay, and Mainstream offer a more social media-driven take on fame and obsession.
Lastly, The Social Network and The Social Dilemma offer more grounded and realistic takes on social media and technology. For a compelling representation of crime and technology similar to Spree, these films are a great addition to your watchlist.
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