A new film starring Lili Reinhart plunges viewers into the unsettling, often invisible world of those who police the internet's darkest corners. Clickbait, directed by Uta Briesewitz, is a gripping and thoughtful drama that transforms the mundane reality of a desk job into a tense psychological thriller.
The Harrowing Daily Grind of a Content Moderator
Reinhart plays Daisy, a social media content moderator whose job involves reviewing videos flagged for violating platform terms of service. Her daily workflow is a relentless barrage of the internet's worst offerings: from horrific pornography and political extremism to graphic accidents. Titles like "fetus in blender" or "strangulation but she doesn't die" are part of her normal, numbing routine.
The psychological toll is evident, with fainting at work treated as a commonplace occurrence. Daisy faces reprimand from her boss for deleting a video of a suicide, deemed to have "news value." However, her breaking point arrives with a particularly vicious clip titled "nailed it," which depicts what she believes is real, non-consensual violence.
An Obsession Born from Digital Detritus
Unlike the endless stream of hatred and trash she filters daily, this specific video triggers something profound in Daisy. She becomes obsessed, embarking on a personal, low-key mission to find the perpetrator, though she is uncertain of her end goal. Her colleagues and superiors dismiss her concerns, seeing the video as unremarkable amidst the daily deluge.
The film cleverly evokes a Gen Z version of 'Blow-Up', recalling Antonioni's 1960s classic. Much like that film's protagonist, Daisy may have inadvertently witnessed evidence of a serious crime through her work, but grapples with its meaning and her responsibility.
More Than a Procedural: A Character Study
Clickbait succeeds by being as invested in Daisy's personal life and her place in modern society as it is in the mechanics of its thriller plot. It is a restrained and unsettling examination of the human cost behind keeping social media platforms somewhat sanitised. The film questions what happens to the individuals who absorb the world's digital trauma to protect the rest of us.
While a modest production, it proves to be an effective and impactful piece of cinema. Clickbait will be available on digital platforms from 19 January, offering a timely and disturbing look at a crucial yet overlooked facet of our online existence.
