Title: I Have Proof
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: James Cullen Bressack
Writer: James Cullen Bressack
Runtime: 76 Minutes
Starring: Larsen Deane, Lilly Van der Meer, Augie Duke
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2026.
A series of video tapes depict a man (Larsen Deane) documenting something secretive and horrifying. The initially harmless videos gradually show just how dangerous he is, or do they? I Have Proof plays with reality by forcing viewers to re-contextualize the events onscreen once the pieces fall together. Much of this happens thanks to the escalation between the man and the woman (Lilly Van der Meer) he stalks. As the film nears its conclusion, the intentions of both characters reaches an explosive confrontation.
A dull, dark, and generic found footage horror, I Have Proof unimpressively limps to its supernatural finish line.
There isn’t much to dissect in I Have Proof thanks to its simple, low-fi approach to horror. Taking on a grittier aesthetic to modern found footage, the horror transforms as the story takes shape. Told primarily through long, wordless stretches of creepy stalker antics, I Have Proof doesn’t make it easy for its audience to understand what is happening. Largely dependent on the camera’s subject to initiate terror or revulsion, its raw, gritty style of filmmaking does give the film an edge to it along with the realistically spartan set. There’s as much danger to the stalking scenes as there is concern from the more depressing moments inside the man’s motel room. It’s genuinely uncomfortable to watch the action unfold and feel powerless to stopping it.
Unfortunately, the positives of I Have Proof end here. Thanks to its stripped-down narrative, there isn’t much to say or do with its concept. Repeating itself and suffering from a lack of novelty, the puzzle piecing gets tiresome as I Have Proof gets closer to uncovering what is truly happening. It’s frustrating but it’s more than that. Thanks to the specific choices it makes, I Have Proof reads like a collection of lost videos from a mentally unwell person. Whether or not that is the film’s intention, the result is indistinguishable. It’s less offensive and more tired than anything.
Not only are the story choices irritating, but the film also has no concept of pacing. Lingering in each scene far longer than it should be necessary, the poor editing makes each moment feel like torture without a satisfying payoff. It succeeds in making the choreography work for its stalking sequences but drags in nearly every other scene. It certainly contributes to the mystery element of the film by making the mental frustration feel physical through the viewer’s commitment to making it through the tapes.
In the end, the hope of a good mystery derails the actual one of I Have Proof. By focusing on the way the man obsesses over the woman, I Have Proof shows the hidden realities of how loneliness and mental illness drives men to terrible things. There isn’t much sympathy for the man here, even if the narrative turns once it becomes evident that there is more beyond what can be seen onscreen. The characterization of the woman, however, is troubling. Depicted as sadistic and cruel when alone with the man, her characterization is at odds with how she presents to the outside world. The audience is asked to separate the look of fear on her face when she’s tracked from the cheesiness of her eventual transformation in private.
Hopefully unintentional, I Have Proof draws on real-life gender angst with this psychological battle of wits. The man’s obsession is treated as appropriately unsettling but once it takes a supernatural turn, the tone shifts too. His once unfounded fears are now understandable, even if the portrayal of the two’s chase doesn’t change much before the finale. By the end, the man’s fears of this woman are justified, as are his attempts to follow her. It’s a bizarre narrative choice by itself but also feels irresponsible.
Par for the course for the sub-genre, I Have Proof wrestles with some interesting ideas but nosedives trying to make them all work. Commendable attempts to craft an atmospheric and gritty urban found footage horror give the film an incredible look despite its sagging, generic story. Fans of the sub-genre may find I Have Proof charming or disastrous depending on however high or low their expectations for this type of film are set.
Overall Score? 4/10
