we’re all going to the world’s fair
Directed by: Jane Schoenbrun
Starring: Anna Cobb, Michael J Rogers
Young teen Casey sits in her room, and embarks on the latest internet horror challenge, filming herself to document any changes - real or imagined - that occur around her.
If you do not like "slow burn" films then this will not be your cup of tea, but writer/director Jane Schoenbrun's debut feature is a very unsettling affair despite a lack of impetus to anything actually happening.
The film begins with the audience's POV looking out of Casey's computer screen, as she prepares to make her first video. She introduces herself and explains she's about to take the "World's Fair Challenge". As someone who watched this film without any fore-knowledge of the plot, this whole scene was very unsettling as I had absolutely no idea what she was about to do or what was about to happen. And even though nothing does (seemingly) happen, a mix of newcomer Anna Cobb's performance and the excellent cinematography piles on the feeling of helpless dread. Casey is so close, yet so far away from us.
Casey seems to be distant from just about everybody. The only interaction she has with her parents is when her father yells to tell her to be quiet - at 3am in the morning. She doesn't seem to have any friends her own age, we're not even sure how many people are accessing her online videos.
The film is interspersed with other online videos of people documenting their "experiences" after taking the Worlds Fair Challenge. Even though Casey's videos seem little bit more heartfelt and less contrived its easy to imagine them becoming lost in the miasma of clips out there. Nevertheless, its not long before a viewer of her clips gets in touch with her, telling her she's in danger.
JLB is the guy on the other end of the Skype connection and he helps develop Casey's experiences, showing her elements of her clips she hadn't picked up on herself (for example she posts a video of herself sleeping, but its clear she hadn't watched it herself). JLB is an interesting character because for a lot of the film he's just a disembodied voice and at first seems nervous to be talking to a young teen. Having recently watched the documentary Caught In The Net, I'd say he had good reason to feel self-conscious (as a result of that film, the Skype chime fills me with dread every time I hear it).
The crux of the film is whether anything is actually going on at all. Does The World's Fair Challenge truly alter your consciousness and perspective on reality, or is everyone just making it up? Is Casey just acting up for the attention? Is JLB just helping to enable the fantasy?
The film builds to a make-or-break moment but refuses to directly answer any of the questions. Instead it provides a long monologue which starts out like it might be true but the amount of detail and embellishments start to make you wonder if this character is now spinning their own fantasy.
We're All Going to the World's Fair is a fascinating film but will likely prove to be a "marmite" viewing experience. The lack of action or answers to what is happening will certainly frustrate some. The film consists of long static shots (eg when our POV is the camera lens) and long steadicam shots as we follow Casey around. Anna Cobb, in her first film role, is excellent as the young, naïve yet savvy Casey and Michael J Rogers provides an interesting and multi-faceted performance as JLB.
THE VERDICT
We're All Going to the World's Fair is a fascinating film which makes you draw your own conclusions as to what has actually happened. Was any of it "real" or was Cassie's young mind so immersed in the roleplaying to the point where she couldn't tell the difference between reality and fantasy? Director and writer Jane Schoenbrun draws out a delicate performance from her new actor and sets out her stall as a film-maker to watch.
8 out of 10 - RECOMMENDED