Rated PG-13 for some sexual references.
Director Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (First feature film)
Starring Melody C. Roscher, Ariel Schulman and Yaniv Schulman
Sure The Social Network was the story about how Facebook was created, but Catfishis the story of how Facebook can ruin lives.
In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, Catfish is a riveting story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue.
The beginning of the film is really cool. You follow one end of an online relationship. We see very familiar images like iPhones, GPS screens and Facebook and Google pages. It’s at the 40 minute mark that things go very differently. Nev and friends decide to drive to the mysterious Megan’s house and meet her in person. And the trailer made it look like this was going to be the next Blair Witch or Cloverfield movie, so I was on edge expecting something…anything to happen. Guess what…NOTHING HAPPENED!! This is a movie about two people who started talking online and one of them was lying. That’s it. It REALLY is a documentary.
The biggest appeal of this movie is “not knowing” what is going to happen next. So when nothing actually happened, words can’t express my disappointment. It’s a Coaster.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The movie is rated PG-13 for some sexual references that are in text messages and emails.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: As I said in the review, this is a movie about two people who started talking online and one of them was lying. We learn that Angela tells one lie and that lie becomes two, then three and so on until she creates over 11 profiles on Facebook, just to keep up the lies.
Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: While honesty is a reflection of your character, it is also a way to show your faith. In the Bible, God made honesty one of his commandments (You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16). Since God cannot lie, He sets the example for all of His people. It is God’s desire that we follow that example in all that we do.
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: Being honest is not always easy. As Christians we know how easy it is to fall into sin. Therefore, you need to work at being truthful. The world does not make it easy, and sometimes we need to really work hard to control our tongues (and fingers). We need to keep our eyes on God in order to find the answers. Being honest can sometimes hurt, but knowing that you are following what God wants for you will make you more faithful in the end.
Proverbs 11:3 says “Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.” (NLT)
