Review: CATFISH

The new documentary, Catfish, has caused a near uproar regarding its validity. Is it really a documentary or is it just masquerading as one? Is it really “the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never directed” or will it deliver a lackluster outcome? Before you get too tangled up in hesitation, let me ask you this: does the story’s authenticity really even matter if the subject still rings true?

Unknown filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman center Catfish on Nev Schulman, a 24-year-old photographer living in New York City, and his blossoming internet friendship with a family from Michigan. The correspondence begins when Abby, an eight-year-old artist, sends Nev a package containing an oil painting of hers based on a recently published photo of his. Nev gets in touch with Abby’s mother, Angela, on Facebook and starts to learn about their family, all the while sending his pictures to Abby for her to paint for him. He becomes friends with Abby’s father and brother as well and even strikes up a courtship with her older sister, Megan. However, Nev discovers inconsistencies in some of the family members’ stories and decides to step back from the situation and do some investigating, which ultimately leads him to Michigan and forces him to face the truth.

The controversy surrounding this film’s authenticity proves to be completely irrelevant because, whether or not it is actually a documentary,Catfish speaks volumes about how we as a culture so often blur the line between internet and reality. In a way, Nev takes a risk by placing himself in the in-between for the sake of mass revelation. The sole purpose of this film is to get its audience to ask questions and seek out answers, which I believe it does masterfully. Everything else that I love about the film-from its use of Google Maps as an aesthetic touch to its concentration on even characters’ most minor reactions-is merely a bonus.

Though I think Catfish has a shot at holding quite a bit of cultural value, if only temporarily, it will no doubt leave some viewers feeling less than satisfied. The marketing campaign behind this film indicates that it will be this year’s Paranormal Activity, however, it does not deliver any horrific scares and the “Hitchcockian twist” it boasts is only a plot development. Unfortunately, the film’s misleading insinuations will ultimately overshadow its true nature and keep it from resonating with disappointed moviegoers.

If you are interested in films that have something valuable to say, I highly recommend Catfish. It may not completely embody the tone it appears to upon first glance, but it still haunts, if only in the unusual sense of the term.

Rating: 4/5