Welcome to After Hours, Story Mode’s very own film recommendation counter, where we discuss exhort (mostly) features where storytelling intersects with tech. From lesser known titles to cult classics, we hope you find something to fire up the neurones and contemplate on those sleepless nights.
Recommendation of the day: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)
Directed by: Jane Schoenbrun
Written by: Jane Schoenbrun
Cast: Anna Cobb (as Casey) and Michael J Rogers (as JLB)
What’s the film about?
This indie coming-of-age psychological horror follows a lonely teenager named Casey, who becomes immersed in an online occult role-playing game called the “World’s Fair Challenge”, where participants claim to experience strange and supernatural changes to them over time.
As Casey digs deeper into the game, she documents her experiences through video diaries that become increasingly unsettling. Meanwhile, her journey attracts the attention of JLB, a mysterious veteran of the game who takes a particular interest in Casey’s transformation; encouraging her to continue and offering insight into the game’s mysteries. But as with any good story, things might not always be what they seem.
Why should I watch the film?
- Horror films have had quite a run over the last decade. From never quite finding their footing since the ’80s, the genre today has firmly established itself as one of the most exciting and innovative ones around. And at the forefront of it all have been the indies. But even within that (largely) flourishing ecosystem, it’s rare to come across something that feels as fresh and original as …World’s Fair, especially as the waters get more stale (if not yet muddy) with the copycats and clumsy, forced metaphors.
- The film not only explores the themes of isolation and identity, but does so with an almost tactile delicacy and unassuming groundedness. At the same time, beneath its understated nature is an ever-present undercurrent of an ethereal unease, which feels as personal as it does eerie.
- If you were ever looking for a project that explores the blurring of lines between reality and the digital world, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one with more texture and, perhaps more importantly, one that does not hold your hand. Drawing inspiration from online communities and creepypastas, but without giving anything away, the film plays its cards very close to the chest, and trusts you to do the readings.
- For a film made on a tiny budget, it manages to look mesmerising. Embracing a low-fi/home video/webcam aesthetic, which only complements its sensibilities of ennui and everyday dread.
- The phenomenal debut of Cobb in the role of Casey.
Would I have heard of the director before?
Perhaps. Schoenbrun went on to make another critically acclaimed feature in 2024, I Saw the TV Glow.
I won’t get too scared watching this, would I?
Only on an existential level.
How long is the film?
Only 86 minutes.
Anything else I need to know before going in?
The less, the better. I would skip the trailer as well. But, it’s here if you want it.
Screengrabs from the film.
