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In 2015, audiences were shocked by 13 Cameras. In 2018, they were disturbed by 14 Cameras. Now, the third installment of this unsettling horror franchise has arrived. 15 Cameras, written by PJ McCabe (The Beta Test) and directed by Danny Madden (Beast Beast), follows married couple Sky and Cam as they move into a new duplex and rent out the second unit. The couple quickly becomes consumed with the dark history of the home as they discover first hand the dangers of voyeurism.

To be fully transparent, I am not the biggest fan of the first two films in this franchise. While I appreciate some of the themes both films had about voyeurism, the dangers of rental homes, and even a bit of the dark web, ultimately these themes weren’t explored enough for me. Both films are certainly creepy and very unsettling, but because these themes were only touched on, the plots felt a bit bare-bones. 15 Cameras, on the other hand, has a twisted plot that exposes the darker side of human nature. When Sky and Cam purchase their home, they know it was previously owned by “the slumlord,” the villain of the previous two films and now a famous figure in true crime circles. Sky at first seems unbothered by this and even develops a strange fascination with the case. Yet, that fascination slowly turns to paranoia when she learns the supposedly dead slumlord’s body was never recovered. On the other hand, Cam dismisses the history of their new home, believing the past is in the past. That is, until he discovers a hidden room in a closet of the downstairs unit. Inside, Cam finds monitors revealing both units of his new home are still rigged with working sky cams. He becomes consumed by his desire to watch others, even after he realizes he might not be the only one watching. The film sends important messages as it builds tension, taking the audience on a sinister journey to an inevitably violent end.

There are two specific themes 15 Cameras explores. Through Sky, the filmmakers examine the booming true crime obsession. Over the years, the obsession with heinous crimes and serial killers has reached a point where serial killers are idolized and their crimes glorified. The horrific deaths of others have become a form of entertainment. Even living in a house previously owned by the slumlord, Sky relishes watching the real-life footage of his crimes and has a habit of making popcorn before she watches, adding to the sense of entertainment for her. It isn’t until she realizes this terrifying criminal could potentially touch her own life that Sky sees the documentary not as entertainment, but as research to help her solve the crime and never become a victim herself. When it comes to Cam, he seems like a typical, normal guy. When he discovers the cameras, he begins to watch before quickly looking away because he knows it’s wrong. But eventually, this unique opportunity draws him in, feeling protected by the secrecy and anonymity of it all. Throughout the film, Cam carries out increasingly irrational and disturbing acts in order to ensure he can not only watch the cameras, but that he will have something appealing to look at. Cam’s journey explores themes of the opportunistic nature of voyeurism. He, and most others, would never put spy cameras up on their own. But what if they were already there and you were the only one to know about them? Would you be honest and get rid of them, or would curiosity get the better of you? Would watching make you any better than the slumlord? There is a thin line between right and wrong, and 15 Cameras exposes how easily many people would cross that line given the opportunity.

15 Cameras is a very character-driven film with great performances. Will Madden (The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Jethica) stars as Cam. At first, Cam seem like a very average guy who becomes corrupted when the discovery of the spy cams falls into his lap. Madden really shines as his performance tries to balance the criminal actions of a guy who seems to otherwise be a good person. Angela Wong Carbone (Resurrection, Chicago Med) plays Sky. This character is likely the one most audiences will relate to, specifically with how Sky is so easily drawn in by the crimes committed until she realizes it could easily happen to her. Carbone delivers a subtlety to her performance that demonstrates the gradual shift in Sky’s point of view, going from observer to researcher to potential victim. Now, viewers who have been with this franchise from the beginning will of course know the slumlord was played by the iconic Neville Archambault in both 13 Cameras and 14 Cameras. Sadly, Archambault passed away in August of 2022. Archambault appears in 15 Cameras in the spy cam footage from the previous films, used as part of the documentary series. In that series, another man is shown playing the slumlord. At first, I assumed this man was someone reenacting events for the purpose of the documentary. That is until he makes an appearance later in the film. My initial reaction was, “Why is the documentary reenactor still in character?” Only then did I realize the filmmakers had to recast the role after Archambault’s passing. It’s understandably very hard to fill Archambault’s shoes and deliver the same physicality to the role that he did, but James Babson (Hellboy, Solomon Kane) gives a perfectly capable performance as the slumlord.

Because this film doesn’t have a lot of practical or CGI effects, the visual interest comes form the formatting. Many scenes are shown through spy cams, in clips of the documentary, or close-up shots of the two protagonists as they’re consumed by what they watch. It’s clear 15 Cameras, like the previous films, wants to highlight these two characters as being a type of sick spectator. But the fourth wall is also broken, to a certain extent. It isn’t just the characters who are watching something they shouldn’t, it’s also the viewer taking on the role of a voyeur. We are not only watching the crimes, we are also watching the watchers. It’s an effective way of building the growing sense of unease, often making the viewer feel as though they’re also part of some illicit act.

15 Cameras still has all the grime and tension of its predecessors, all while injecting vital commentary on society’s increasing fascination with being detached, anonymous observers. McCabe’s script perfectly incorporates those socio-political themes, all while bringing the franchise full circle as it connects with the previous films. D. Madden also expertly brings the film to life, delivering the familiar smuttiness, but with a bit more polish. Both Carbone and W. Madden deliver compelling performances, each showing a different side of voyeurism. While the loss of Archambault makes aspects of the film confusing and even a bit less frightening, 15 Cameras still stands out as the best of the trilogy.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10