(DISCLAIMER: Potential spoilers ahead!!!)
This week, we are switching up the genres and covering Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. This documentary covers the true story of a young high schooler, and her boyfriend, who are cyberbullied for months by an unknown number. While this whole story gets wrapped up into a deep investigation that later involves FBI, let's just say that my jaw was immediately dropped once I found out who was behind those texts from the beginning.
I feel like it is necessary to rant about who was behind these texts. Wait for it..... HER MOM! How in the world could someone do that to their own child? When you watch this documentary, you'll understand what I mean when you see some of the graphic texts that she texted. There was a point in which the mom literally texted her daughter, "Kill yourself." Obviously, that is just outrageous and I do not understand how someone could be so willing to do that in general, but to your own child?!
I suppose some may try to defend her by saying she had a lot of stressors in the picture, like her jobs, her financial stability, etc. But this lady legitimately lied to her husband, her best friend, and the whole community about nearly everything that was going on in her life. What is even crazier is that she was such an advocate about finding the person behind the number, too. Then on top of that, she really pretended to be surprised when the FBI came back and said it was her. Like HELLO? What do you think was going to happen?
I will say that while this story takes place in a small town in Michigan, it surprises me to think that this sort of thing would happen here. Small towns are supposed to be known for their comforting nature and the internal support that it has for one another, but this story totally changed that narrative for me. I think it is safe to say that you can never trust anyone!
While this documentary was not one of my top 10 favorites that I have ever watched, I will say I was still very intrigued in the film to find out who the culprit was. However, once you figure out that the mom was behind the whole thing, it kind of enraged me. One, how could a mother do that to her own daughter?? But two, how can the daughter just so willingly forgive her?!?! Either way, I think this documentary is worth the watch if you enjoy being nosey and have a fancy for true crime related plots. Overall, I would give this movie a solid 5/10 in all of the movies I have ever watched, but a 6/10 in the world of documentaries.
NEXT WEEK: Stay tuned for next weeks post on an infamously bad movie that many reviewers have negatively commented on. I have yet to watch it, so I am excited to see how bad it really is!!
HAPPY MOVIE SNOOPING!!!
