The Andy Baker Tape Movie Review
Director: Bret Lada
Writer: Dustin Fontaine, Bret Lada (Screenplay)
Cast
- Bret Lada
- Dustin Fontaine
Plot: The last known footage of food blogger Jeff Blake and his half-brother Andy Baker.
Runtime: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Andy Baker Tape starts as food vlogger Jeff Blake (Lada) learns he has a half-brother Andy (Fontaine). Jeff is on the verge of breaking into the food network, his dream job, to travel and try new foods. On the way to recording his final audition, he arranges to meet Andy.
The two bond together even if Andy can come off a little strange to Jeff. Jeff reluctantly agrees to let Andy join him on his road trip, where things take a disturbing turn for Jeff.
Verdict on The Andy Baker Tape
Characters
Jeff Blake is a food blogger, he has spent years on his journey to be successful, on the verge of a big break. He wants to open up more to the audience before he moves on, where he learns about a half-brother. The journey the pair go on will show Jeff showing his professional nature. Where he wants to keep his work important and learn more about family.
Andy Baker is the half-brother, he lives in the middle of nowhere, working paycheck to paycheck. He wants to bond with his brother, getting himself invited on the journey for work. Only not everything he says is the truth, where he has a darker side to his motivations.
Performances
Bret Lada and Dustin Fontaine write and star in the movie. They make us believe they are half-brothers that haven’t ever met before. Giving the natural interactions between the pair. Bret brings the confident figure to life, while Dustin makes us feel uneasy around him.
Story
The story follows the first meeting between distant unknown half-brothers. One is trying to complete his dream transition into television, while the other has struggled through life. It seems like things are going well but one of them starts acting strange.
This is a found footage movie, so as I say with every found footage film. ‘Was the reason they were recording worth continuing?’ The answer here is yes because everything recorded is related to the audition for Jeff. Most of the movie focuses on the journey, while anything creepily recorded is from Andy. This does channel the inner ‘Creep’ to the story, where he can come off as awkward but deep down, he knows what he is going.
The movie does start slower, with most of it being interaction and bonding. This can work two ways, because making us wait, leaves us guessing. But the second way is, that not much is happening to hint at the biggest outcome possible.
Themes
The Andy Baker Tape is a horror thriller using the found footage concept. When it comes to the horror in the film, it is more about how creepy Andy is. This eliminates any supernatural elements to the story, one that is often the turning point for found footage. We do know something big happens and the journey is the waiting spell to see what it was. The journey will take us to different dining locations across states in America, exploring different food cultures.
Final Thoughts – The Andy Baker Tape is a creepy thriller, that could easily be compared to ‘Creep’.