Manipulation Has Never Been Easier

Read Time:5 Minute, 41 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Appofeniacs
–

Genre: Thriller, Horror, Dark Satire
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 29m
Director(s): Chris Marrs Piliero
Writer(s): Chris Marrs Piliero
Cast: Sean Gunn, Jermaine Fowler, Aaron Holliday, Michael Abbott Jr, Simran Jehani, Amogh Kapoor, Will Brandt, Paige Searcy, Harley Bronwyn
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Fantastic Fest

RAVING REVIEW: APPOFENIACS doesn’t ease you in—it grabs hold with its proposition and runs with reckless abandon, throwing its ensemble into a storm of paranoia, deceit, and chaos. Chris Marrs Piliero crafts a film that thrives on both immediacy and excess. Where most horror rooted in tech might tread carefully, this one throws subtlety out the window, opting for a multi-narrative style that feels like it’s been ripped from the internet itself of the good ol’ days of creepypastas: loud, fractured, and impossible to ignore.

At its core, the film examines the terrifying ease with which anyone can weaponize deepfakes. Duke, played by Aaron Holliday, personifies the dangers of casual cruelty, a character who approaches the technology not as a moral question but as a game. His carelessness sets in motion a night of unraveling identities, fractured friendships, and bloody consequences. Piliero keeps the structure disorienting—anthology-style vignettes bleed into each other, bound by the shared theme of perception unmoored from reality. It’s a choice that mirrors the chaos of online culture, where misinformation spreads like wildfire and consequences come at you faster than anyone anticipates.

The performances inject humor and horror into the mix. Sean Gunn, portraying cult-hero filmmaker Clinto Binto, leans into eccentric charisma that borders on parody yet still feels unsettlingly grounded. Jermaine Fowler, as Cedrick, offers a counterpoint to moral awareness in the early debates about the ethics of deepfake technology; his performance is sharp but tinged with a sense of futility. Holliday plays Duke with just the right mix of charm and malice, embodying how easily destructive behavior can masquerade as harmless experimentation. Supporting turns from Simran Jehani and Harley Bronwyn bring energy to their respective arcs, both actresses balancing vulnerability with a willingness to dive headfirst into Piliero’s satirical carnage.

What makes APPOFENIACS stand out is its tonal balance. It isn’t just another cautionary tale about technology gone wrong—it’s a messy, blood-splattered satire that embraces outrageousness. Piliero’s background in stylized music videos is evident in the rhythm of the editing and the bursts of absurd humor that punctuate the horror. The film delights in the grotesque, but never loses sight of its thematic core: people are easily manipulated. That phrase, repeated like a mantra throughout, becomes both a warning and a punchline. The result is unnervingly funny at times and deeply unsettling at others.

Visually, the film thrives on contrasts. Everyday settings—suburban rentals, coffee shops, neighborhood streets—become theaters of horror once altered footage and synthetic audio enter the equation. Piliero even uses his own house for the pivotal “House of Binto” sequences, a detail that grounds the production in an authenticity that big studio gloss might have lost. The gore is practical, visceral, and intentionally exaggerated, with the effects team ensuring that the violence lands with a splatterpunk flair. It’s not for the squeamish, but the audacity of the effects adds to the film’s midnight-movie appeal.

The anthology structure, however, will be divisive. Some viewers will find the fractured storytelling exhilarating—its unpredictability keeps the audience guessing about who might survive and how the threads will connect. Others may see it as disjointed, a series of sketches stitched together with blood and irony rather than a fully coherent narrative. That unevenness is both a strength and a weakness: it allows the film to embody the chaos of the digital age, but it also risks alienating those who prefer a tighter throughline. This is a film designed for festival crowds seeking provocation rather than traditional narrative arcs.

Piliero’s intent was clear: to create something grounded yet overstated, a film that could entertain while making its audience laugh uncomfortably at how relatable its premise feels. That ambition largely succeeds. At the same time, the exaggerated gore and Tarantino-inflected dialogue may occasionally feel too much like a homage. The film’s ability to fuse satire with horror makes it stand out in the current wave of genre entries. APPOFENIACS embraces its absurdity—acknowledging that reality itself has already blurred to the point of parody.

Some character arcs land with lasting impact, while others fade before they’ve had a chance to resonate. Similarly, the mix of humor and horror occasionally clashes—what comes across as biting satire for some may strike others as jarring. Piliero doesn’t play it safe, and that creative audacity is refreshing.

As the credits roll—set to an original track cheekily titled “Eat My Face” by Piliero’s own Band of Confusion—the film leaves you with a shiver. The absurdity of the final moments mirrors the absurdity of its central conceit: that with just a phone, lives can be manipulated, destroyed, or rewritten. It’s a bleak laugh at humanity’s expense, but it sticks with you long after.

APPOFENIACS may not win over everyone. It’s messy, uneven, and loud. However, for those willing to embrace its satire, it offers a biting reflection of the world in which we live. Piliero’s debut is a confident statement that he’s here to stir things up—and in this case, chaos is part of the point.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.