Stranger Things Star Joe Keery's 2020 Thriller Spree Finds New Life on Streaming
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Joe Keery's 2020 indie thriller Spree is finding new life on Tubi, casting the Stranger Things star as a desperate rideshare driver who turns to violence for internet clout.
If you only know Joe Keery as the lovable, hair-flipping hero Steve Harrington from Stranger Things, a forgotten 2020 indie thriller is currently turning that perception on its head. Spree, which is currently blowing up on Tubi, features Keery in a starkly different role as Kurt Kunkle, an attention-starved rideshare driver desperate to go viral at any cost. Unlike his heroic Hawkins persona, Keery plays a deeply pathetic and unsettling internet aspirant who rigs his car with cameras to livestream his daily grind. When standard content creation fails to net him an audience, Kurt takes a terrifying turn to manufacture his own viral fame, turning his rideshare into a chamber of horrors for the sake of follower counts and clout.
Directed by Eugene Kotlyarenko, the film largely unfolds through livestreams and found footage, creating a tense viewing experience that feels uncomfortably prescient. The story holds up a harsh mirror to modern internet culture, examining the dark intersection of digital obsession, algorithm desperation, and real-world violence. While it arrived with little fanfare during its initial 2020 release, finding just $43,000 at the box office, its themes hit even harder today in an era where clout chasing and platform monetization dominate everyday life. For audiences who treat streaming platforms as their primary source of entertainment, discovering these hidden gems has become a favorite pastime.
As the movie gains a second wind on free ad-supported streaming, it proves that Keery has plenty of range beyond Netflix's flagship sci-fi epic. It is a sharp, black-comedy thriller that asks uncomfortable questions about what happens when digital validation becomes the sole metric of human worth. You can read the original coverage over on Polygon to get the full breakdown of how this indie cult favorite is finding its rightful audience years after release.
Tags: Streaming, Movies, Culture, Tubi, Joe Keery
Original article: Polygon