Catfish movie trailers have been very vague. Those who saw the Catfish movie like it that way, since Catfish movie buzz suggests that no one should go in knowing anything. Even reading a review might be too revealing to the viewer, although they’ve had months to find one. Since the film came out in Sundance, it has built up buzz as a surprising thriller for the online age. But few who have seen it want to say any more, so the Catfish movie mystery is still alive, as it finally nears a wider release.
Universal and Rogue Pictures picked up the film after its Sundance debut. Since then, they have been careful in revealing trailers and teasers, as befitting the advance word of the film. According to all early critics, this is a tale that must be seen with no foreknowledge or expectations.
The only Catfish movie details that are safe to release is that this is yet another docudrama. It is helmed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, whose brother Nev is the subject of the film. Nev is documented as forming a Facebook friendship with an 8-year-old girl and his family. But the twists start coming when Nev is invited to meet them in person.
From then on in, all details about the Catfish movie plot have been kept under lock and key. Critics have largely been eager to play along, as the Rotten Tomatoes rating for the film is at 74 percent thus far.
In addition, the Catfish movie is also being hyped as “the other Facebook movie” of the fall. The Social Network already has advanced Oscar buzz, for its depiction of Facebook’s origins. But in this case, Facebook is being used for more mysterious, and potentially more unsettling, means than Mark Zuckerberg could have dreamed up.
Of course, this kind of mystery is nothing new for a film like this. Other Catfish movie comparisons may be made to films like Paranormal Activity, The Last Exorcism and The Blair Witch Project. They used the documentary format for a horrifying narrative, which may seem like an old tactic by now.
However, this film may have a completely different subject matter and style, for all anyone knows. Since critics are reluctant to talk about the Catfish movie twists, viewers can still let their imagination run wild. Yet once the film starts being unveiled to the public, the mystery will probably go away fast – if it hasn’t already been spoiled online.
For now, the mystery and vague teasers are powering buzz, but how will the film be received once people know what it is? Audiences will finally find out, once Catfish opens in select theaters this Friday, and spreads out over the next few weeks.
Sources
Rotten Tomatoes- “Catfish”
San Francisco Chronicle- “A profile of Catfish documentary’s filmmakers
Hitfix- “The makers of Catfish discuss the reality of their much-discussed new movie
