Sundance 2021: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
sundance 2021Jane Schoenbrun's newest feature film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair serves as an unnerving tribute to the age of internet culture and the dangers that live within its many screens. Following a teen girl named Casey (Anna Cobb) who takes part in an online challenge simply known as the World's Fair Challenge where apparently some evil spirit slowly takes control of the individual's body, the film attempts to capture the rare social dysphoria that can plague the adolescent experience and is, overall, a resounding success.
Above anything else, the true breakout performance from Anna Cobb needs to be given attention as it truly stands as stunning. In her very first feature, Cobb captures an authentic expression of the modern teenage experience that perfectly blends unnerving actions and empathetic calls for attention. For a film that is so based on questioning where the line between reality and fiction lies when it comes to the mythology of internet culture, there is something incredibly human at the center of the film which speaks to some of the deeper themes that lie within the movie.
Whilst, on one hand, the film is a thriller that finds an identity within internet culture which is sure to be relatable and recognisable to those who grew up in the era of YouTube challenges and Creepypasta, there is a deeper truth found within the film. Pulling from their own journey coming out as nonbinary and finding their identity in the world, Jane Schoenbrun clearly has given the film a uniquely queer backbone when it comes to attempting to find one's place in the world that will feel relatable even to those not in the LGBTQ+ community. With endless access to the larger world through the internet, attempting to find one's identity has never been more overwhelming and complicated. Not only is this felt through the character of Casey but also through a friend she meets on the internet who goes by the name JLB (Michael J. Rogers). JLB grows increasingly concerned regarding Casey's health and the film slowly exposes more and more about JLB which, without giving spoilers, reveals an entire other side of modern internet culture.
These characters are compelling and demand a range of emotions from the audience. On one hand, they feel incredibly sad and demand understanding for their methods of coping with their own lives on the internet, the film also works quite well as a psychological thriller. Largely due to the cinematography from Daniel Patrick Carbone and editing also from Jane Schoenbrun, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is an off-putting and genuinely haunting feature at times that constantly will put audiences on the edge of their seats. Finding an identity somewhere between Spree and Paranormal Activity, the film is patient with its horror but also incredibly personable. It never uses cheap jump scares but, instead, has extended sequences of Casey in the middle of the night looking right into the camera and into the audience's soul seemingly speaking directly to them. This side of the film also serves an important purpose and reaches a satisfying conclusion, which isn't always the case with the genre.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair truly feels like a breakout project for nearly all parties involved. This deeply relevant and authentic look at the various layers of internet culture feels both perfectly relatable and over the top for the cinematic expression. There is clearly a deep truth within the film that demands to be seen and recognized causing the film to truly stand out as one of the breakout projects of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
