Shadow People (2013)

Charlie is a Dj with a late night call in radio show whose ratings are so bad he's in danger of cancellation. One night a teenager named Jeff calls in talking of shadow people and sounding like he's all hopped up on goofballs.  After a brief conversation, Charlie decides Jeff's a loon and hangs up.

The next day Charlie finds a package on his doorstep. It's from Jeff and includes a notebook with drawings and writings about shadow people. Surprisingly Charlie is not alarmed that this kid knows where he lives.

That night Jeff calls in again to ask if he's read the information, and says if you think of them, they'll come for you.  After Jeff ends up shot, interest in Charlie's show explodes due to the injury happening while they were on the air.  Conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork to talk to Charlie.  Even the CDC gets in on the action after multiple deaths of healthy people perk their interest.  And since Charlie is the common denominator in the Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome, they begin an investigation to determine why.

Charlie insists he has proof of shadow people, but all he has is 17 year old Jeffs notebook with drawings and freak out writings, along with an old film of a sleep study.  Nope, not proof.  Also if thinking about shadow people makes them come to get you, then why aren't they all over Charlie? He's thinking and speaking aboaut them 24/7, yet he's still okay. Is he such a loser that even the shadow people don't want him?

There's nothing new about this as the cliches include: divorced dad who doesn't get along with ex and doesn't make time for kid; an ex who remarries to someone well off while dad lives in squalor; a DJ that has no listeners until he exploits a tragedy; strange things happen to conspiracy theorists; and a pivotal point where an ethical decision needs to be made but doing what's right will result in public humiliation.

Supposedly a true story with reenacted footage interspersed with interviews and archival footage of the real participants.  Yes, supposedly true, but decidely not since an internet search does not turn up any supporting documentation of this story.  The strangest thing is that my friend Tristan swears he didn't put this in his queue. So why was he sent this dvd? Shadow people shenanigans, perhaps?