'Bodycam' Review
- Joe Kucharski
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Release Date: 03/13/26 [Shudder]
Genre: Horror.
MPAA: Not Rated.
Distributor: RLJE Films. Shudder.
The Verdict: A Maybe
In an age where Siri is always listening and doorbells have better surveillance than most police precincts, the idea of something supernatural hijacking our tech feels like horror gold. Writer/director Brandon Christensen taps directly into that paranoia with Bodycam, blending digital dread with today’s zeitgeist in distrust of authority. The result is an indie flick that’s more intriguing than terrifying, and only hovers on the horror periphery.
Bodycam unfolds through the dual perspective of two police body cameras, following Officers Jackson and Bryce as they respond to a domestic disturbance that quickly spirals into something far stranger. Gunshots erupt, chaos creeps in, as sigils and mutilation lean into the reveal: a hex has been placed upon them. From there, Christensen turns the film into a race against both the supernatural and public scrutiny, as the officers try to stay ahead of public outrage while protecting their own from a supernatural threat.
Christensen, alongside editor Rob Grant, keeps the film visually sharp. The back-and-forth between Jackson and Bryce (Jamie Callica and Sean Rogerson respectively) flows with purpose, revealing the mystery that feels modern and immediate. The bodycam format works in the film’s favor, grounding the story in a familiar digital realism that mirrors headline news and viral footage. There is a clear confidence here in both concept and execution.
And credit where it’s due: Christensen understands tension. He builds it through character, through environment, and through the unease of being constantly observed. The film vibrates with indie ingenuity.
But then the horror of it all quickly falls apart. The setup promises creeping, skin-crawling fright, but the payoff leans more into a zombie-lite crawl than sustained dread. Instead of a creeping voodoo hex or even a haunted house (a segment from the recent V/H/S Halloween comes to mind), Bodycam de-evolves into a chaotic, first-person shooter videogame that sprints away from… chanting homeless people.
Jackson’s mother and Bryce’s wife are brought into the story. And while the terror of the unknown adds to the story, especially their plight, the ennui of it all quickly becomes a more driving force. The eventual reveal of the film’s central threat lands much softer than expected. Suffice to say, you have no doubt seen scarier Mardi Gras floats.
Still, Christensen continues to push at the edges of low-budget horror, blending personal stakes with supernatural menace. The pieces are all there, even if they do not lock into place.
Bodycam may not fully deliver on its nightmarish potential, but it shows Christensen has the vision to get there. Consider Bodycam less a scream in the dark and more a test run with the lights flickering… the kind that makes you check your cameras twice before going to bed.
