Leech (2024) Film Review [Unnamed Footage Festival]

Online streamer ‘The Dark Lord of Love’s Park’ interaction with the online world consists of arguing with his chat, drinking himself into a stupor, and performing grotesque tasks for money. Or, in internet lingo, A lolcow. For kids unfamiliar with this term, a lolcow exists in the online space and makes their money off a small portion of fans, primarily from people making fun of them. Around this online culture of lolcow, countless pages have sprung up, from the infamous Kiwi Farms forum to the Encyclopedia Dramatica site that coined the term. At the same time, many YouTubers focus on a broad range of lolcows to create content or narrow in on an individual; solo-focused YouTubers on a lolcow are known as A-logs. These sites and channels often bring in more money reacting to the lolcow than the lolcow does itself, leading to one of the most peculiar ‘cottage industries’ online.

Leech is written and directed by David M. Dawson and stars Jordan Acosta and Mike Miller. They also worked together previously on the phenomenal Flesh Games (2023), which we covered as part of last year’s previous unnamed footage festival.

This brief history lesson is essential in establishing what Leech is, as the movie takes inspiration for the character of Dark Lord from real lolcow King Cobra JFS. If you know who King Cobra JFS is, like me, it is hard to separate yourself from the spot-on impressions by Jordan Acosta and the lore integrated into the film. Leech is a work of fiction that goes into extreme territory in the movie’s closing moments, but specific instances are inspired by actual lolcow lore; the features opens with The Dark Lord eating cat food that was sent to him by a ‘fan,’ which is an actual instant that exists on video with King Cobra JFS; watch a clip here.

This is a form of entertainment that is not going to hold a universal appeal. However, as someone with a passing interest in lolcow lore enough to follow some channels that cover events, my experience as a viewer will be drastically different. From this perspective, the movie is a wonderfully indulgent masterpiece that brings many of Cobra JFS’s eccentricities. Jordan Acosta nails the voice and mannerisms of King Cobra JFS. Additionally, one scene that shows the Dark Lord making sweet and sour chicken nuggets features real gut-churning ingredients JFS uses in his streams: gummy worms, Mountain Dew, and hot sauce. The movie is that perfect combo of homage and taking the piss when it comes to exploring the outskirts of online culture, before deviating into disturbing fiction. For me, Leech is a 5/5 film.

Stepping back from the insiderism of the film’s subject, there will be some limitations for the uninitiated. Not knowing the features’ inspiration, some viewers may find the Dark Lord’s behavior slightly too absurd or obnoxious to be enjoyable. Also, the stripped-back, almost VHS quality visuals, which worked perfectly for David M. Dawson’s ode to Jackass in Flesh Games, is slightly peculiar choice for a screenlife film; King Corba JFS streams are better quality than what is presented here.

However, despite potential shortcomings for the uninitiated, there is still a chance for the comedy to land, especially for anyone who has dealt with an ‘edge lord’ in real life or online. Moreover, there is a certain dividing point from homage to a micro-e-celebrity into a disturbing series of events. The conclusion feels like it was possibly inspired by real-life violent crime cases cultivated through obsessive online behavior; with the relevance of parasocial behavior online, this message has a more universal appeal. There is still a chance that Leech will appeal to a general found-footage fanbase, particularly those with a warped sense of humor.

Leech proclaims itself as one of the most niche films anyone will ever see, and existing inside the found-footage genre will further limit its broader appeal. However, David M. Dawson’s approach to film seems less about trying to break through to a broader audience and more about embracing a punk approach to filmmaking. Dawson certainly chases his inspirations, regardless of how obscure they may be, like conceiving a film around a lolcow known only to a handful. Still, those willing to roll around in the muck will revel in the filth along with Dawson, Acosta, and Miller.