The modern age of technology has enabled filmmakers to tell stories in new, innovative ways. One of the biggest examples can be seen in the ever-growing body of screenlife horror films and thrillers like Unfriended, Host, Spree, and Searching. Through a screen-sharing format, the subgenre pulls viewers into a digital landscape, bouncing across video calls, security footage, internet searches, all forms of text messaging, and more to create narratives filled with suspense as their protagonists try to either solve a mystery or escape a killer from the discomfort of their computer.

Oftentimes, these kinds of movies add in a supernatural element to not only up the stakes, but limit technology as a resource as it malfunctions in the presence of the unknown — Bloat, does just that. With award-winning director Pablo Absento at the helm, the film rediscovers an ancient Japanese folklore demon through a present-day possession flick, further highlighting the...