Catfish

USA 2010, 87 minutes
Dir. Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Rating: [M]
Genres: Documentary / Sociology

“A fascinating document, at once glib, untrustworthy and strangely authentic.” ~A. O. Scott, New York Times

Aroview: Astonishing documentary follows the interactions between a New York-based photographer and a young woman from rural Michigan who make contact via Facebook and set off a bewildering series of events.

Ostensibly self-indulgent with a no-frills aesthetic and a threadbare legitimacy, this inadvertently segues into a story for our times that not only cautions the pitfalls of social networking, but finds itself consciously negotiating the inherently exploitative nature of documentary film-making. Or put another way, this simple film gives both its participants and the audience a surprising amount to think about.

Member Reviews

Average rating (Good Enough). Showing 1-3 of 3 member reviews.

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3 stars (Good Enough) Interesting to watch in the background while you're doing something else, but couldn't command my full attention. ~s36e175
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5 stars (Exceptional) This is doco making at it's finest, as a long distance Facebook friendship unravels the viewer embarks on an unbelievably compelling journey. The characters are real and engaging. I was left with conflicting emotions, which scores it 5 stars in my book ~GenXGirl
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2 stars (Good Try) From a sociological aspect, the documentary has little value. If you are prepared to see this one through there is some satisfaction in seeing the irritating characters get led around the mulberry bush. ~tubbs