How much should we believe what we see online?
This film follows David Kim, the father of Margot, a teenage girl who disappears after a study session. To help with the investigation, the father is asked to look into Margot’s personal life. The more he discovers, the more he realises he knew nothing about his daughter. David learns that she made strange money transfers and participated in online chat rooms, which leads to questions he cannot answer. In the film, we see how technology is crucial but also detrimental. While it helps David to uncover information, it poses a question: how much should we really believe? Information can be misleading.
The film demonstrates how real life can be distorted through Margot’s Facebook account. She has a few hundred friends on Facebook but none in real life. It highlights how the internet can show a false representation of someone. Furthermore, the content of her messages is miscommunicated, something we can identify with if we’ve ever been the victim of a misunderstood message. Social media quickly turns ugly as an innocent hashtag to find Margot soon escalates to the public blaming the father: #thefatherdidit. With social media, everyone has a voice and ulterior motives, and even her classmates only pretend to care about her to use the publicity to promote themselves.
The film is recorded only via a computer screen rather than having the standard camera shots. This fairly new approach is refreshing. The father's computer changes over the years from Windows to a Macbook, and opening multiple tabs and using Facetime is very relatable. As a result we identify much more with the characters, feel more invested in them and empathise to a much greater extent. The filming is very cleverly done and we begin to forget that it’s all through a computer screen.
The film manages to capture the attention and hearts of the audience. It has a suspense-filled storyline and fresh perspective that mirrors technology in our own lives, making it of cultural and personal relevance. So, if you’re searching for a film to get lost in, this is the film for you.
Would you like to see the film? What films have you seen recently?
