MILK & SERIAL (2024)

Streaming on Youtube!
Directed/Written by Curry Barker.
Watch it here!!
that’s a bad idea YouTube page here!!

A pair of Youtube pranksters Milk and Seven (played by writer/director Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson) try to prank each other for a birthday party with horrifying results.

Are the actors successfully acting like they aren’t acting?
Yes, since no one in the cast are recognizable, the film does have an air of legitimacy. Much of the dialog is natural and while occasionally things are said to move the plot along, most of the acting feels as if it isn’t rehearsed. The two leads, Barker and Tomlinson also have a likable back and forth between them and the sense that they are acting only shows up in the latter portion of the film as shit gets real.

Does the footage found seem authentic and untouched by additional production (which means there is no omniscient editor making multiple edits between cameras or an invisible orchestra providing music)?
Unfortunately, MILK & SERIAL has slight musical cues to suggest tone here and there. For me, this always takes away the feeling of authenticity. Even if those who survived the events that occur in the film edited this footage together from the various sources of media the film is made of, the addition of this music wouldn’t make any sense. The film is made up of footage from multiple cameras and flash back and forth between two different timelines from both Milk and Seven’s perspectives. But this was edited as such that it was never confusing. So I guess there is an omniscient editor putting this film together, but it never felt there was footage used that wasn’t captured by the two cameras. Therefore it’s a technically tight film aside from the music, which is a technical manipulative cheat, in my found footage rule book.

Why don’t they just drop the camera and get the hell out of there?
The guys are YouTube influencers, always hoping to catch reactions to their pranks, so filming everything just seems second nature to them and part of the show as setting up the prank is all part of the process. Even when things get crazy, because one or both of the actors believe things to be a prank, filming everything is never seen as inappropriate.

Is there an up-nose BLAIR WITCH confessional or a REC-drag away from the camera?
There are confessionals of sorts from both leads as they tell the viewer about the prank they are setting up. So the up close confessional seems all part of the show. Thankfully, there are no REC dragaways. Nothing ruins a found footage movie than the tired and cliched final drag away shot. The final shot in MILK & SERIAL is pretty shocking, nevertheless.

Does anything actually happen? Is the lead in too long and the payoff too short?
The film runs at a brisk hour and two minutes. The plot moves along at a nice speed with all kinds of pranks, back stabbings, action, and plot twists going on. MILK & SERIAL is never ever boring.

Does the film add anything to the subgenre and is it worth watching?
This is a good one worth seeking out. While most of the time I hate films about influencers, Milk and Seven proved to be interesting to watch. The characters are engaging. The film has a great way of raising the stakes by the minute and does a wonderful job of revealing just enough information to make you anticipate the other shoe to drop and then adds a new twist or two to the story, making it a difficult movie to predict. Made for less than $800.00, this is an example of low budget, but high quality. As things spiral out of control as a result of these pranks, MILK & SERIAL ends up telling an interesting and surprisingly unique tale of how far is too far in terms of friendly pranks.

After watching MILK & SERIAL, I ended up checking out some of this comedy writing team’s other shorts and clips on their YouTube and Instagram pages called that’s a bad idea. These guys are both deeply demented and genuinely funny. It might not be your kind of humor, but it is mine. Reminiscent of I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE, THE KIDS IN THE HALL and THE WHITEST KIDS YOU KNOW, “that’s a bad idea” goes into some very wrong places and push the boundaries of good taste and PC values against the wall and have their perverse and merry way with them. If you’re looking for some very twisted humor, check out their YouTube page, which I’ve listed below, before the comments.