I liked the overall premise of this, but I wish I knew much less going in. I found myself zoning out regularly. The synopsis gives away too much! Other than that, I liked how I kept wondering what I would do in the same situation (until the reveal of what Viv did, yikes), and there were some super dark moments.  

 

Energy: Heavy. Troubled. Valiant. 

 

🐺 Growls The synopsis spoils the story. 

 

🐕 Howls The main characters know what is going on and for the most part how to stop it, so it’s just watching that all play out and could feel one-dimensional sometimes. I was hoping for more mystery trying to figure out what is going on and why; maybe it’s a me-thing, but then all the spooks would hit harder, and I’d be wondering if the events are real or just in our MC’s grief-stricken mind. 

🐩 Tail Wags First person present tense without feeling overdramatic. Well-executed gaming and pop-culture references. Modern twist on a possession story. Finding out what the MC did was fully unhinged and the parents’ reaction…wtf

 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Small-town Iowa with a bit of Chicago, Illinois, USA

Perspective: A high school student and Twitch horror game streamer whose younger sibling passed away a few months ago. 

Timeline: Current (2020s). 

🔥 Fuel: Withholding. Moral quandaries. What happened to Viv’s sister this past summer? Emotional stakes, quests and journeys. A clear goal. Will she be able to stop the doppelganger? 

📖 Cred: Supernatural realism

 

Twitch. Indie horror game. Rooftop view. Watching from the darkness. Last minute road trip. 

 

Content Heads-Up: Loss of sibling (as teen). Loss of child. Bullying (high school; rumours, rejection). False accusation (school threats; sexting; sexual abuse; murder). Accidental death. Racism (microaggression, biases). 

 

Rep: Mixed race (half-Japanese). Cis. Hetero. Porcelain and ambiguous skin tones.

 

📚 Format: Spotify