Catfish is a (fake?) documentary that led to a MTV reality series. The film focuses on Nev Schulman, who is initially then periodically an unwilling participant, as a Michigan family begins an online relationship with him. His brother, Ariel, and Henry Joost, another filmmaker and office mate, document the relationship as Nev begins to question the family’s veracity.
I do not care if Catfish is real or not. I like fake and real documentaries. The film is initially engaging as it depicts the natural progression of an online interaction by using montages of photographs, paintings, emails and maps. I was frustrated that we did not get more background on Nev because he would casually suggest that dance was his life then it would just be left hanging. Why? Even though the film is only one hour and twenty-seven minutes long, in the final act, there are flashbacks, which I hate. This movie is not part of an epic series that spanned the course of years. I just saw that scene on my couch, and it was just passable as entertaining for me to watch it initially. Do not make me watch it again. Ugh.
If Catfish is fake, then it is a failure of imagination because the final act destroys all of the film’s momentum and rendered the film utterly disappointing. The trio arrive in Michigan to meet the family and reach a crossroads then choose grace, understanding and compassion instead of taking the Maury Povich of confrontation. Ordinarily showing such humanity to another person would warm my heart except it is a mistake to conflate kindness with acceptance of lies.
The last third of Catfish completely shifts focus from Nev to the person whom Nev has been communicating with. At this point, Nev knows that this person has been lying to him, but the film and Nev just lets this person be the focus without truly challenging the explanation provided. By the end of the film, unsurprising to anyone who has been paying attention, he lists the additional lies from the final act. The filmmakers do not have to be cruel when they confront a liar, but they also do not have to accept everything that a liar says and give that person center stage to perpetuate more lies.
Catfish acts as if the filmmakers are victimizing this person and feels bad for exposing her. The entire final act drove me insane because they basically do their best to make the viewers feel as they do. I actually agree that the whole situation is sad, but it is also disturbing and made me wonder what else is this person, who takes care of three vulnerable people with no legal agency or voice unlike the filmmakers to protect themselves, lying about and what else does this person lie about. Even this person’s spouse may be clueless and a potential victim.
If you want to learn about the worst way to confront bad actions, then definitely watch Catfish. Nev basically cannot resist but fill in the silence and explain for her. While there is nothing wrong with humanizing a person, especially one that wronged you, it is a mistake to think that facts about a person’s life relieves them of all responsibility to keeping the bare minimum of the social contract. Basically the film gives attention to a person that wanted it. I understand wanting closure, but this film was the illusion of closure. Real closure is fully understanding the situation, not helping someone further perpetuate lies.
I really resented how Catfish basically blew off the fact that others were victims and never sought to discover how they felt about their photos being stolen then used to engage in social interactions that they never consented to or sought. One of the engaging parts of the film is Nev acting like a kid at the prospect of a potential love interest. It is a really relatable and adorable aspect of the film that these New Yorkers act like naïve schoolgirls after receiving some attention and can be duped because the lie makes them believe nice things about themselves. Listen, I have literally been there (professionally, not personally). The film does a great job of establishing the fact that they are not fools, “They just told me things that I never cared to question.” In many ways, Nev and the liar are dreaming together, and if Nev does not mind, then is there harm? “Nice dream, though.” Indeed. Just because there is not harm to Nev ignores the harm to others.
It is unfortunate that Catfish basically continues Nev’s sentiment that it never cares to question how deep the rabbit hole is. Someone dies after the filming is complete, and it is a footnote. Maybe I watch too many true crime documentaries, but I immediately thought of Mommy Dead and Dearest. Munchausen syndrome by proxy would be completely aligned with this person’s need to create multiple online identities. No one even questions the catfish story whether or not it is even a thing! It reminded me of Author: The JT Leroy Story except no one died in that situation, and the persona was completely fictional! The people whose identities were used to facilitate the deception consented! The Alex persona was a real sign of this person’s shadow side-believing that others have an obligation to entertain her and lashing out when Nev did not. The film really brushes aside the fact that this person is taking real people’s identities, and some of those people are vulnerable. Um, what is Abby’s credit score?
Catfish reveals what is wrong with American society, i.e. who gets the benefit of the doubt even while committing bad acts and who does not even when no bad acts are committed. This documentary shows that the intersection of gender and race are like kryptonite when it comes to accountability. The tears and manipulation worked. They got scammed twice. By the end of the film, I was screaming to stop hanging out with her and leave. When she tearfully bemoaned her lost career, I was internally screaming, “What career! A grifter?” My dudes, not everyone should be an investigative journalist. Please stop.
If I had to compliment Catfish, I enjoyed watching Nev, whom I found attractive. I have no idea if I would still think so if I saw him in real life, but on screen, I could definitely understand why that creepy person would have an emotional affair with that guy. The trio of filmmakers had an adorable dynamic, and my favorite scene is when the camera is in the position of the windshield, and we see all of them in one shot basically confabbing about what they just witnessed. I have never seen the series, and after being aggravated by and wishing that I never saw this movie, I do not think that I ever will, but if it rests on their personal dynamic, then I get it.
I do not recommend watching Catfish. I was left with such a bad aftertaste that I wondered if I should strike while the iron is hot and watch The Rachel Divide immediately afterwards just to get all of that negative energy behind me. Not worth it.
