We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)

Viral Videos

For most of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, the only person in sight is Casey (Anna Cobb), a lonely and anxiety-ridden teenager.  She seeks connection through the World’s Fair Challenge, a creepypasta offshoot billing itself as the world’s scariest online horror game.  All one has to do to join is prick their finger, watch a series of flashing images, then report the “symptoms” that allegedly manifest after the video.  There’s no goal per se, except for sharing one’s videos with others and trying to uncover the game’s many secrets.

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Disturbia (2007)

disturbia

Stalkin’ the Suburbs

It’s tempting to call Disturbia a modern-day remake of Rear Window, but that doesn’t quite feel right.  The movie straddles the line between remake and homage, sharing most of the general story beats with its inspiration but changing the time period, setting, and protagonist to such an extent that it avoids feeling like a rip-off.  On the whole, Disturbia gets to have its cake and eat it too, taking advantage of the path forged by its masterful predecessor while still retaining its own identity. Continue reading

Eighth Grade

eighth-grade-3

As an incurable horror movie fan, I have no problem watching torture, disembowelments, and all other manner of grotesqueries.  But no amount of gore could prepare me for the emotional meat grinder that is Eighth Grade.  Bo Burnham’s directorial debut is at times nothing less than an endurance test, and I mean that as the best of compliments. Continue reading