CATFISH
(PG-13)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
In late 2007, filmmaker Nev Schulman struck up an online relationship with a family in another part of the country. He got to know the younger daughter who made paintings from the photos he took. He also got to know the mother over the phone. And finally, he got to know the other daughter over Facebook and started a long-distance, online romance with her. Wanting to meet her, Nev and his friends went on a road trip to bring them together, and they had no idea what was in store for them.
WHAT I LIKED
“Catfish” was one of those films I heard a lot of buzz about, mostly from people telling me that it was a creepy and eerie movie. I was also warned to learn the least amount about it before seeing it for fear that it would be ruined. So accordingly, I avoided conversations until I had a chance to watch it on Blu-ray.
I will say that this was the best way to view the film, with full ignorance of what it’s about. This also makes it terribly hard to review, but I will attempt to do so.
“Catfish” is definitely eerie and scary, though not in the traditional sense. It’s not a horror movie by any stretch of the imagination, but rather a compelling real-life (allegedly, at least) drama. You’ll not see anything else like it. It reveals some of the ugly and potentially dangerous side of Facebook and privacy, and it will keep you guessing.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
There has been some speculation as to whether the events that occur in “Catfish” are 100% genuine. Like “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” that’s not for me to decide, but rather to look at the film as an effective piece of filmmaking. Still, there are elements to this movie that don’t ring perfectly honest. Part of the fun of the movie is if it’s all true, and that may very well be the case. If you were to ask me, I think the answer – and the reality – is somewhere in-between.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The Blu-ray doesn’t come with much in the terms of bonus materials, except for a Q&A with the filmmakers about the film, including some softball questions about the film’s reality.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Those who like a compelling documentary that may or may not be 100% real.