In the same vein of found footage, the screenlife sub-genre – films set entirely on their characters’ computer screens – is one that you either click with (so to speak) or not. No doubt it has been put to great use in the likes of Unfriended, Searching and Host, and now Pablo Absento’s horror thriller meets cryptid creature feature Bloat has all the potential in the world. Sadly, the film never quite achieves those hoped-for highs.

Jack (Gotham’s Ben McKenzie) is called away to service and misses out on his family holiday to Japan, but keeps in constant contact with them over video call. The family is soon thrown into a horrifying scenario as the youngest son Kyle nearly drowns. However, more may be going on here, as Jack’s wife and older son both grow increasingly concerned about Kyle, who seems disturbingly changed by the experience.

Bloat is for the most part a well-constructed monster horror that intertwines age-old monster lore with modern technology, and which builds nicely as the game becomes clearer and clearer. It is also blessed by a few good performances from McKenzie and Kane Kosugi, who, as Jack’s service mate Ryan, adds some much-needed moments of lightness to a story that grows darker.

In many ways an exorcism-style story with a cryptid edge, Bloat still has something to offer even if, at points, its confines do seem to hamper its expansion. The screenlife limitations mean that Bloat can’t quite kick into another gear, and ultimately the final act fizzles out. Absento doesn’t quite manage to accomplish what the likes of Dashcam or Unfriended did, instead offering a finale that is a bit more chaotic but rather flat instead of crazy.

Still, for fans of the many genres being blended, there is something to see here, even if Bloat could have been more.

Bloat is available now on digital platforms in the US.