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Dear David

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for Dear David R Released Oct 13, 2023 1h 35m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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10% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Shortly after comic artist Adam (Augustus Prew) responds to Internet trolls, he begins experiencing sleep paralysis -- while an empty rocking chair moves in the corner of his apartment. As he chronicles increasingly malevolent occurrences in a series of tweets, Adam begins to believe he is being haunted by the ghost of a dead child named David. Encouraged by his boss to continue the "Dear David" thread, Adam starts to lose his grip on what is online... and what is real. Based on the viral Twitter thread by BuzzFeed comic artist Adam Ellis.
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Dear David

Critics Reviews

View All (29) Critics Reviews
Amy Nicholson FilmWeek (LAist) It's never that scary, it's never that funny, and ultimately it's never that engaging. Nov 1, 2023 Full Review Katie Walsh Tribune News Service This hastily cobbled-together attempt to ride the coattails of a 5-year-old viral success isn’t a movie, it’s “content.” Rated: 1/4 Oct 15, 2023 Full Review Monica Castillo RogerEbert.com Something is lost in moving “Dear David” from its native digital platform. Rated: 1/4 Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Carla Hay Culture Mix Dear David is what happens when misguided filmmakers think a social media fad story can be made into a movie that a lot of people weren't asking for in the first place. This pointless horror flick is boring, jumbled, and a complete waste of time. Nov 20, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It delivers the usual tropes expected from a ghost story, but it would have been just as exciting if Adam could have filmed himself sleeping. Rated: D Nov 13, 2023 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Common Sense Media A peculiar mixture of comedy, "true story," and horror, this movie from director John McPhail wobbles to and fro but somehow never topples and is all the more likable as a result. Rated: 3/5 Nov 5, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (31) audience reviews
Marshall Horrible movie that I have no idea why it was made. Genuinely was confused why I didn't hear about its release until i saw it, then it made sense. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review Marco L (CASTELLANO) Hay películas que nacen de ideas originales, otras de libros o leyendas, y luego está Dear David, que viene directamente de un hilo de Twitter. La premisa prometía: una historia de terror basada en supuestos hechos reales, con ese aire moderno de "terror digital" que tanto juego podría dar. Pero al final, lo que podría haber sido inquietante se queda en una especie de refrito sin alma. La película tiene sus momentos, algún susto puntual que funciona y una atmósfera que al principio parece querer construir algo serio. Pero no tarda mucho en volverse repetitiva, con un desarrollo que ni asusta, ni inquieta, ni engancha. Lo más frustrante es que intenta tomarse tan en serio que pierde lo que podría haber sido su mayor baza: lo absurdo y lo misterioso del fenómeno original. Los personajes no ayudan. Cuesta empatizar con ellos, y la historia, que debería ir creciendo en tensión, se va desinflando poco a poco. Cuando llega el final, lo único que queda es la sensación de que todo esto daba para un corto... o mejor, para quedarse en Twitter. Ni los fans del terror clásico ni los que buscan algo diferente saldrán muy satisfechos. Se puede ver, sí, pero con expectativas muy bajas. Una lástima, porque Dear David tenía todo para ser, como mínimo, una experiencia curiosa. (ENGLISH) Some films are born from original ideas, others from books or urban legends… and then there’s Dear David, which comes straight from a Twitter thread. The premise was promising: a horror story based on supposed real events, with a modern "digital terror" twist that could have really worked. But in the end, what could have been unsettling turns out to be a soulless retread. The movie has its moments—there are a few jump scares that do their job and an atmosphere that initially seems to be building toward something serious. But it quickly becomes repetitive, with a plot that doesn’t really scare, intrigue, or hook you in. What’s most frustrating is how seriously it tries to take itself, losing what could’ve been its best card: the absurd, mysterious nature of the original viral story. The characters don’t help. It’s hard to empathize with them, and the story, which should build tension, just slowly fizzles out. By the time the ending rolls around, you’re left feeling like this was better suited for a short… or honestly, best left on Twitter. Neither fans of classic horror nor those looking for something different will leave satisfied. It’s watchable, sure—but only if you keep your expectations very low. A shame, because Dear David had all the ingredients to at least be an intriguing experience. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 05/07/25 Full Review R. K It's like a 90 min long, half assed YouTube creepy short film. It's insanely predictable, the scares are laughable and the actors do an awful job for the most part. BUT it was kind of alright for a low budget horror movie. Although "horror" might be exaggerated. It's a tad creepy. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/17/24 Full Review Audience Member Die Idee ist ganz nett, wenn auch nicht neu. Leider kauft man den Schauspielern den ernst der Lage nicht ab, ich habe mich die ganze zeit gefragt ob der film eigentlich als Komödie angelegt war! Wirklicher grusel kam irgendwie nicht auf, sehr schade! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/12/24 Full Review Kai B Completely butchered the original story to the point were it didn't feel like a Dear david movie but it had a couple ok moments but apart from that it wasn't scary and all the jumperscares were completely predictable plus some of the scenes felt really weird and unnecessary so overall not a big fan it was really boring Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/24/24 Full Review RuRu D I love Augustus Prew. Good creepy film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/11/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Dear David

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Dear David

Dear David: Exclusive Movie Clip - What Do You Want From Me? Dear David: Exclusive Movie Clip - What Do You Want From Me? 1:37 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Shortly after comic artist Adam (Augustus Prew) responds to Internet trolls, he begins experiencing sleep paralysis -- while an empty rocking chair moves in the corner of his apartment. As he chronicles increasingly malevolent occurrences in a series of tweets, Adam begins to believe he is being haunted by the ghost of a dead child named David. Encouraged by his boss to continue the "Dear David" thread, Adam starts to lose his grip on what is online... and what is real. Based on the viral Twitter thread by BuzzFeed comic artist Adam Ellis.
Director
John McPhail
Producer
Richard Alan Reid, Michael Philip, Jason Moring, Naysun Alae-Carew, Charlotte Walsh
Screenwriter
Mike Van Waes
Distributor
Lionsgate
Production Co
CR8IV DNA, Lionsgate, Buzzfeed Studios, Rideback, BuzzFeed Motion Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 13, 2023, Limited
Runtime
1h 35m
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