We’ve all seen the “challenges” that have graced the internet for the last few years. Tide Pods. Ice Buckets. Internet viral hits based on a double dog dare that no one dog dared anyone to do. But what if the challenge at hand had a more horrific outcome? What if that challenge could possibly bring about evil (that isn’t just influencer’s dances on Tik Tok)?
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, the narrative debut of the writer and director Jane Schoenbrun, takes on a creepy pasta style challenge and traces the outcome. In an isolated little midwest town resides Casey, played hauntingly by debut actress Anna Cobb, who has taken on the “World’s Fair” challenge. It’s a The Ring style dedication: say a few words, prick your finger, watch a spooky video. Bam. You’re committed to the challenge, which is rumored to supposedly change you into something horrific.
While Casey chronicles her experience after taking on the challenge, she meets a faceless internet presence who goes on this journey with her. In between spooky YouTube style videos, unsettling Tik Tok’s, cringe ASMR and behind the curtain of the internet reveals, Casey finds out what the world’s fair has in store for her.
This movie captures the real monster in the closets of most kids today, the internet. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair was haunting. Not in any way was this film a sterotypical horror but the creep factor followed me after the credits rolled. Writer and director Jane Schoenbrun pulled from real life experiences they had when they were younger on the internet. They had been writing horror stories online and had befriended an internet presence, only to find the stories that the presence revealed were much more scary than the stories they were writing.
It’s strange because this film isn’t really a film to me. It’s a compilation of YouTube scrolls from a Slender Man-esque obsession rabbit hole the viewer is thrown down. I didn’t really understand the outcome or necessarily the story. Yet, I did get that uneasy feeling; I felt that creep factor of the online life many have as an outlet when isolated. It’s hard to describe honestly. I don’t think I’d recommend this film or really even put it in a ‘film’ category but it will be a deep rooted cult classic to some. I promise you that. Someone is going to connect to the oddity that is a life online and how utterly scary it is.
All in all this was a reminder that the real boogie man of this generation is the internet. What lurks down video challenges, sites and AOL chats isn’t always good. There is a lot of evil within the webs and sometimes people can get caught up in those sticky situations only to find the spider creeping closer and closer with every click of their mouse.
I wouldn’t visit the World’s Fair again anytime soon, but you can decide for yourself to buy the ticket or not.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair will debut in select theaters in New York beginning April 15. The film will expand nationwide and debut on Digital platforms on April 22, 2022 via Utopia Distribution.
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Writer. Geek. Final Girl.
