The Andy Baker Tape (2021) User Reviews

An okay flick - nothing more, nothing less

[lebenswelt-18509 · 5/10 · 5 February 2023]

"The Andy Baker Tape" (2021) is a movie very similar to Creep (2014): you have the main character, who holds the camera, on his way to meet someone he doesn't really know, only to find out this person might be more than what they appear.

The acting is good enough. The main character plays the food reviewer type really well, I enjoyed his way of explaining food textures and whatnot. Same with the secondary character: on the surface, he totally felt like a person I could meet in real life.

The writing is where the movie has a few struggles. The script does a good job in making us care for the caracters within the limited duration of the movie (70 minutes). Now, it only does that because it kinda "cheats" with its found footage concept: you know those movies where the main character has the camera on while more important stuff is going on (stuff that would make any normal person forget about filming)? This is one of those movies. There's a lot of exposition going on while the camera is filming everything, and in some of those moments you ask yourself: "why is this guy filming it? Oh yeah, because it's a movie and the script needs to let me know what's going on" - and there goes the suspension of disbelief, so important to the found footage genre.

These shortcomings won't make "The Andy Baker Tape" (2021) a bad movie. It's an okay flick. You will definitely feel entertained, if you look past some things. If you've watched the amazingly well done "Creep" (2014) before this, the shortcomings will stick out a bit more, but even so, the characters make this one worthwhile. I've seen worse movies with longer durations, so 70 minutes is not a lot to spend even if you don't like this one.

Routine found footage

[moviefansme · 6/10 · 2 March 2022]

Not much happening here, not much new.

Jeff reviews restaurants on his YouTube channel, has an offer coming from the Food Network, and video records everything he does. He somehow ends up in a DNA database that says he has a half brother, Andy, that Jeff never knew about. Jeff meets Andy, who at first seems like a harmless weirdo but who becomes more dangerous the longer they hang around together.

Much of the story seems like filler--they hang around together so they go places and do stuff that make no difference to the story's outcome. They spend surprisingly little time critiquing restaurants' food. The ending is rather predictable and inevitable-you know what's going to happen, the question is how. This is a reasonable first effort by two new filmmakers, but it's ultimately pretty routine.

A little too polished for a found footage film

[jtindahouse · 6/10 · 1 November 2022]

I chose 'The Andy Baker Tape' for my 2022 Halloween film. I hadn't watched a found footage film in a while and this one seemed to be getting some decent buzz. It was okay, but sadly nothing special.

The film is a lot more polished than most found footage films. The actors are better looking and the acting is of a higher standard than you would typically expect. Usually you'd think this would be a good thing, but something that can often sell the found footage concept is the raw and unpolished quality of it.

The ending is always key to found footage films. Why has this footage been found and what ultimately happened to these people? The ending to this one was a bit of a let down. It just wasn't creative enough.

The film is short at only 70 minutes, so even if you are not loving it it is easy to persist. 6/10.

Don't believe the hype!!!

[johnnygriner · 2/10 · 16 August 2022]

I don't know if the actors asked all their friends to write these awesome reviews about this movie and that why they are all 10's ? This movie is just a boring worse than typical "found footage" piece of garbage! I want my 70 minutes of time back!!

a delightful treat

[GGfox1 · 7/10 · 19 August 2022]

This one surprised with its sweet and sour palette, providing a concept about a food blogger that travels with his half-brother on a food tour.

The concept is ultimately just the wrap that holds the filling, and the filling here has a texture with how the 2 actors work off each other, with both bringing a unique flavour to the film, keeping me interested and engaged throughout with their lightly seasoned interactions. The found footage aspect of the film works exceptionally well, allowing the story to slow boil before adding a peppering of creepiness. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I'm excited to see what these filmmakers cook up for their next course.

Found footage travel channel

[BluFox90 · 5/10 · 13 October 2022]

The Andy Baker Tape is a film much like a travel channel food show mixed with elements of "Creep".

Jeff Blake has taken a dna test and finds out he has a lost brother (Jeff Baker) from an affair his father had. They spend the day together and film Jeff's pilot test episode for his travel channel shows.

This movies did a great job on replicating a food show because it made me very hungry multiple times how they would highlight the food they ate. The breakfast sandwich look absolutely delicious!

The Andy Baker Tape was effective in being entertaining and engaging. It was a fairly short film so never really has any slow or dull moments.

I'm satisfied

[dexterfishpaw · 7/10 · 17 August 2022]

So glad I decided to watch this. I've probably seen 99% of every ff movie out there & every now n then I find one that I'm extremely grateful for & this was one of those. Keep up the great work fella's.

Boring and nonsensical

[thedarkestshadow-32785 · 4/10 · 14 July 2023]

Nothing much happens until the last 10 minutes or so. If you are looking for something in the horror genre look elsewhere.

You could tell from the first couple minutes that Andy is severely unhinged. No matter what insane crap he pulled Jeff kept letting him back into his life.

It was especially stupid at the end. Some guy you'd just met has repeatedly done creepy disturbing crap and then ignored your phone calls ( why in the world you'd be calling at this point is beyond me) yet you're going to let him in your house? Especially after just finding out he has been stalking and recording you for days? The actors were good but that can't save the idiotic script.

The Andy Baker Tape's Biggest Downfall

[analisambau · 6/10 · 22 February 2023]

I rate The Andy Baker Tape, which is a remarkable title, in my opinion, a 6.5/10. To my surprise, its biggest flaw is the introduction to and addition of the horror genre. For me, it does not work as a horror film - it feels unnatural. It begins as a tender slice of life with a jarring transition into thriller territory, but the charming plot makes the watch entirely worth it. Newfound brotherhood and bonding over good food? It makes for an entertaining and cute experience up until the turn for the worse, which is a double entendre. I don't find this film scary in the slightest, but that isn't such a bad thing. It is a completely competent family film. I recommend The Andy Baker Tape.

The Andy Baker Tape

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 22 August 2022]

In October of 2020, food blogger Jeff Blake and his half-brother Andy went on a food tour that had the potential to change their lives.

They were never seen again.

This movie is the footage of their trip.

Bret Lada, who plays Jeff, directed and co-write the film with Dustin Fontaine, who plays Andy. Fontaine summed the film up in a very funny way: "Created by a displaced screen actor, an out-of-work Blue Man, an Australian-based sound engineer, and a first-time female producer; this film is a testament to creation and keeping the artistic spirit alive while the rest of the world was forced into hibernation. Our story is a joyride of laughs, thrills and suspense."

Jeff is close to getting his own show on the Food Network. He's just learned about Andy thanks to an ancestry web site because his recently deceased father never told him. They hit it off - at first - but as the trip goes on, Andy's mental problems reveal themselves. The only problem? Jeff has sent the tapes to Food Network, who wants a show, but Andy has to be a part of it. And Andy's just been abandoned at a hotel, so Jeff has to apologize. But then things get, well, out of hand.

This is a really interesting idea and the found footage style of the movie makes sense, as Jeff films every moment of his life.

Surprisingly good

[bishopragz · 8/10 · 17 August 2022]

At barely over 1 hour, this actually told a good story, and had me guessing about the characters the entire way. If you've seen "Creep" and like it, you'll like this as well.

Genuinely and surprisingly good

[XyloJW · 7/10 · 17 September 2022]

With so few ratings, I was positive this was a case of fake reviews pumping up the score. But I'm glad I gave it a shot, because it deserves a decent rating. A tense thriller with good writing and acting.

The slow reveal that Andy is maybe a little unstable was well handled. My wife and I had a few "that was a really weird reaction he had," moments that nicely set up things later in the movie.

The tension is well handled and built up over time. A couple light hearted moments keep it from being boring.

The biggest downside: The color balance made everything orange and too bright. I get that it's found footage but even a YouTube video looks better than that, and at a certain point looking good is more important than being realistic.

Good Idea. Bad Execution.

[Planet-38 · 4/10 · 13 June 2023]

This movie premise was a good idea, but the execution is the problem that left a lot to be desired. How can a grown adult, that is supposedly internet savvy, be so oblivious and self-centered that they would be so interested in getting a cable TV show, that they would meet a stranger, give them full access to their life, without vetting them in any way?

And then, to compound the idiocy, that stranger behaves in an increasingly unhinged manner, and you still keep bringing them back into your intimate circle, inside your home, like nothing ever happened?

Is fame so important to this man that his safety and well- being doesn't even cross his mind? Did it never occur to him at any point that there might be some resentment and ill will present that would need to be addressed? Nope. He just blithely brings this stranger into his life and the more increasingly unhinged behavior is just ignored.

I wouldn't have turned my back on this man for an instant, and could see the ending coming within the first 15 minutes. When I started the movie, I thought that the half-brothers disappearance was caused by some outside force, but by the end of the introduction to Andy period, I knew what was coming. Thank goodness it only took another 55 minutes to be proven right.

In movies, grown individuals, with no indications of common sense, always take me out of the viewing experience due to all my eye-rolling at their behavior.

If u are a fan of the "Creep" movies

[Njinked · 7/10 · 21 August 2022]

If you are a fan of the "Creep" movies, then you will not be disappointed. Always left you wondering - what is going to happen next, or who was going to snap !!!???!

Hopefully there will be a part 2 - to answer all the questions we have by the end , that were never told. -also the movie was a little short, but that proved to be good- cause any longer- would just leave you mad with unanswered questions and this way, it allowed you to come up with your own thoughts,,,, until hopefully PT-2 will be made.

Not a bad time.

[andrewfbartsch-33841 · 6/10 · 15 August 2022]

Even when the movie isn't scary, watching the brothers just chill and talk food was entertaining on its own. Unfortunately, the scary moments are few and far between but they are effective.

6.5/10. Recommended

[athanasiosze · 6/10 · 3 August 2023]

To be honest, i am a big fan of FOUND FOOTAGE movies, therefore i might not be the most objective reviewer. In any case, TABT is an average FF movie at worst. I have watched many worse movies of this genre. This is good.

I liked it a lot. It tries to be different. Story is kinda original and these two actors did a good job. They were convincing, for sure viewer empathize with these characters.

Unpredictability is rare in this genre. Viewer always knows what the ending would be. I wish for this to change, i mean, it's dumb to keep writing the same ending. Whereas TABT doesn't do something different, still there are some nice twists and turns. 70 minutes running time helps a lot for this to be interesting and not boring. Good pacing, nice escalation. Still, many things should change about FF movies. The same patterns over and over are getting tiresome.

In conclusion, TABT is a good psychological drama thriller movie.

Hidden FF Gem on Tubi

[beckygremlin · 8/10 · 11 October 2022]

Sometimes Amazon Prime & Tubi have pretty much duds when it comes to the FF (found footage) genre in horror, but the Andy Baker tape is nowhere near one, this one knocked out of the park. I could see the comparisons to Creep, which is complimentary, but far from the same story. It seems so real, it's enjoyable within the first 10 minutes, you don't know yet how you feel about Jeff, but he keeps you engaged. So by the time you meet Andy, you're deep in it. It starts to go off the rails from there then those last 10 minutes?!? Whoa!! It's a wild fun ride until the very end, please watch & enjoy.

Entertaining Found Footage Thriller

[Armin_Nikkhah_Shirazi · 7/10 · 30 June 2023]

THE ANDY BAKER TAPE documents the coming together of a youtube food vlogger with his long-lost half brother. Shortly thereafter, they take a trip together and disappear, leaving only the found footage.

This is billed as a horror film, but to me it seems more like a thriller, and a quite good one, even if it follows just two characters.

One thing that this movie does well is that it conveys right from the very first moment we meet the half-brother that something is just ever slightly off with him, and in the course of the road trip this becomes progressively clearer. In fact, I was immediately reminded of another found-footage film, CREEP (2014), which in some respects is very similar to this and also quite good.

The interactions between the half-brothers are never boring and help flesh out each in ever greater detail. The food vlogging aspects appealed to me, given that I am a foodie. There are multiple twists spread throughout the movie, which is also quite well done. In a few scenes, a character's behavior seems to be more in service of the plot than an authentic expression of his personality, but it never happens blatantly.

This movie is less than 70 minutes long, but it tells a complete story well.

A Must Watch!

[maiahenkinimdb · 10/10 · 24 July 2022]

This indie horror became a fan favorite on the festival circuit (also won best horror at RIFF) and you can see why. If you're a fan of creepy horror, found footage, and the Food Network, definitely watch this movie! It's a funny, suspenseful joy ride of a film. Can't wait to see what Lada puts out next!

Absolutely love this film

[Dashryder56 · 10/10 · 30 July 2022]

I was hooked from start to finish at the festivals I saw this film at! The characters so charming and engaging, and the chemistry between the two is fantastic! Highly revommended watch, especially for fans of found footage!

Surprisingly Great!!

[sfsugs-78775 · 9/10 · 3 April 2021]

I went to see this at its world premiere at the Garden State Film Festival in NJ and was blown away by this movie. It's basically a two hander for most of the film and the actors great work really kept it intriguing throughout. It has a Blair Witch Project meets Plane Trains and Automobiles type tone, but super unique in its own right. Go see this film whenever you get a chance!

Creepy and Creative

[Jerra95 · 10/10 · 15 August 2022]

Loved this Found Footage...creative and creepy...can't wait to see what's next for these filmmakers. Loved the concept and great onscreen chemistry....

Rollercoaster thrill ride

[islipnslide · 9/10 · 10 January 2022]

Saw it at the Coney Island Film Festival and LOVED it.

Brother was creepy, and the vlogger truly deserves his own food network show. The found footage style was an awesome way to tell this story. On edge the whole way through.

Can't wait to see it again!

Masterful tension and character roller coaster

[snitzerj · 10/10 · 2 April 2021]

It's been along time since I really enjoyed a good found film movie. And with a couple exceptions, it's been a while since a movie in general had the necessary chemistry to keep me invested in the plot of a thriller. Both of my prayers in that regard have been answered by The Andy Baker Tape, A found footage film of a food blogger and his half brother.

It's hard to go into This without spoilers and still give it the true justice of a description it deserves, but I will try. Bret and Dustin do an excellent job Of creating an entrancing chemistry on camera, In both moments of tension in moments of wonderful hilarious and sometimes heart warming levity. The camera work never feels wasted or too exaggerated, and with the exception of a few well-placed wider shots for environment, everything feels nice and tightly shot on them to really capture the growing tension in the air.

What really stands out though, and drives this movie above all other excellent qualities it already has, has to be how well they execute the tension just through the use of character. It's really nice to have a movie that doesn't think 50 jump scares is what constitutes as mood building. There is definitely an antagonist here... But what is wonderful is that for much of the movie, both characters possess behavior and emotion and a couple great confrontations that will leave you guessing who is the that antagonist is going to be. I think every thriller movie hopes the audience will want to watch again to try to spot a little bits of foreshadowing because it was 'so clever'... This one really EARNS that feeling.

This movie has been garnering excellent attention since performing well at the Garden State film festival of 2021, and it's clear why that is. Much like a sandwich that is at one point brought up (this film has a couple wonderful moments for the foodies out there!), There is a delicious cross-section of effort and chemistry intention and character and writing that culminates in a delicious, dramatic, thrilling experience.

An "edge of your seat" thrill ride.

[mhvp · 10/10 · 15 August 2021]

Telling the story as a cautionary "found-footage" film adds to the intensity of the unpredictable that awaits for the lead characters, particularly when the BIG TWIST comes near the end, which I won't spoil here. A must-see!