Caviar (2023) Review – A Bizarre and Incoherent Conspiracy Mess

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are checking out the found footage (sort of) horror movie Caviar (2023).

This is just so bad!

There really is so little to talk about with this film; but, alas, I will go on. Caviar is, basically, the word soup from inside the head of a writer, spewed onto the screen haphazardly without a hint of care or skill. Caviar is the Alphabetti Spaghetti of horror movies. A bunch of incoherent letters slapped on a plate with an unpalatable sauce of mediocre acting, terrible imagery and lacklustre storytelling.

“Caviar is the Alphabetti Spaghetti of horror movies. A bunch of incoherent letters slapped on a plate with an unpalatable sauce of mediocre acting and lacklustre storytelling.”

I really can’t think of a better way to put it than that. It might seem like I am being a little bit unfair here and perhaps I am. I am sure writer and director Jacob Michael King would claim I just don’t “get” the movie. He would, likely, tell me that Caviar is a deft commentary on the proliferation of misinformation. He would point out how the movie draws attention to the susceptibility of society to manipulation from those in power and how it highlights the tendencies of both conspiracy theorists and the elite to prey on the weak and the poor.

Which is all well and good, but does it really matter if the majority of people turn the movie off halfway through? Do you really have an important message if people fall asleep while you are delivering it? Because that’s where I was during this movie. My fiancée abandoned it halfway through, choosing, instead, to go and clean up animal shit rather than sit through the rest of the film, leaving me to fight the boredom and soldier on through it.

Conspiracies, lies and misinformation

Caviar follows the story of Antigone. A pregnant woman who has recently lost her social media influencer brother. Determined to carry on his vision, Antigone maintains his YouTube channel and begins releasing her own content. After appearing on an interview, Antigone suddenly receives a package from someone that will turn her life upside down.

Caviar is a movie that plays out like a 4Chan Greentext made flesh. Paranoid, self-important and repeating messages we have all heard a million times before. Its, initially, simple premise quickly unravels to reveal something a lot more convoluted. A story that is eager to point a finger at misinformation and conspiracy, all while distancing itself from any particular political agenda.

It’s satirical while also feeling rather redundant and unimportant. Caviar is like something you would wake up to autoplaying on YouTube in the wee hours of the morning. Deepfakes of political figures play throughout the movie with each character relating sentiments that touch on some of the wider known conspiracies regarding said figures, seemingly drawing attention to the ease at which this type of media can be created.

A complete fail as a horror

Aside from the above, when looking at Caviar as a movie, as a horror, and as entertainment, it is a complete and utter fail. This movie is going to provoke some serious laughter, that is if you don’t check out halfway through. There are visual effects in this that come straight from Jason and the Argonauts. Genuinely shocking stop-motion complete with terrible effects and dodgy perspective work. It is horrifyingly bad. Perhaps this is what the director was going for? But, either way, the result will be laughter and bewilderment that a movie can look this bad in 2023.

On top of this, the story at play here is just utterly boring. The slow start and awkward political discussions eventually gives way to something with some potential intrigue, but it is quick to fade away, descending into silliness and nonsensical twists and turns, all while King rams the subjects of owls and aliens into every open story orifice.

“There are visual effects in this that come straight from Jason and the Argonauts. Genuinely shocking stop-motion complete with terrible effects and dodgy perspective work.”

It’s as weird as it sounds. The movie, ultimately, wraps up with one of the most ridiculous endings I have seen in a while, featuring imagery of political figures shrouded in cloaks, grinning maniacally as some Cronenberg-esque, psychedelic visuals bombard the viewer in what I can only describe as a psychotic episode of a final scene. It’s hilarious stuff and almost made it worth sitting through the movie.

Acting is pretty mixed

Acting is pretty awful throughout. Betsey Brown is wildly inconsistent as Antigone. Opening the movie with some horrendously awful fake crying, before moving into a more comfortable flow as a budding vlogger/mystery investigator, before reverting back to terrible acting and overuse of the word “bro” for the final 20 minutes. It was a weird performance. I think she is, more than likely, a very capable actor; it just seemed as though she was bored or tired, maybe even a little bit frustrated at how silly the story was.

Al Warren was okay as Jeremiah. It’s hard to believe he would be someone that made it as any kind of social media personality though; he has no obvious charisma and feels incredibly bland. Aaron Pruner is decent as a sleazy dude with something to hide.

“Wrapping it in a story about aliens and owls doesn’t make it worth sitting through again. It’s all been done before. Just skip it.”

There was a bit of a Tim Curry vibe to his performance which I enjoyed. Conversely, Jais Sardo is really bad as Alex Jones-lite Caesar Green, never feeling anything other than awkward on screen. Similarly, James Healy Jr. was not at all convincing as someone suffering from dementia.  

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.