Okay so after seeing a really suspenseful, borderline thriller looking trailer, I decided to bite. I’m going to watch Catfish and tell you how it is. All of the comments I’ve read have said that it would be a complete waste to reveal the big plot twist so depending on what happens I may or I may not….
…a lot of the reviews also said that the trailer is completely misleading…so let’s find out.
OMFG, first off, there’s not much to say about the actual movie and the way it’s carried out because it’s a documentary…so no effects or storytelling devices or anything.
Basically the plot is as follows:
Nev, a photographer in New York, was approached by an 8-year old named Abby who makes paintings. (his brother and their friend are filmmakers/directors and want to document their arrangement/relationship) Nev and Abby are in a sort of partnership where he sends her photos that she recreates in her paintings. Everything is taken care of through Abby’s mother, Angela; Nev either talks on the phone with her and e-mails Abby. They sometimes send him prints of her paintings. Abby adds Nev on facebook and then her whole family adds him, thanking him for being so supportive. Nev begins talking to Abby’s sister Megan and they become interested in each other, texting and calling multiple times.
Nev becomes really immersed in this family and his relationship with everyone.
Then…Megan posts a few songs that she sings. They search the lyrics and a song comes up and it’s very similar…but not quite the same. They search a bit more and find the exact version that she sang, revealing that it’s a previous recording and an actual “real” established song. (It has been featured on Season 5 of One Tree Hill. Listen here.) This alerts Nev to all the previous sketch behavior he never really noticed before
- He has never been able to talk to Abby on the phone
- Abby’s paintings are said to be all over town and in various galleries but her name is unfound when searched on the internet
- Abby had supposedly bought a gallery but when Nev checked the listing, it was still listed as unsold and upon calling the realtor, he learned it was still for sale.
Since his brother and friend are in Colorado at the time, filming for a separate movie, they decide to investigate the family in Michigan. At Megan’s house, he finds his postcards with a return to sender, indicating that the person who lives at the house isn’t Megan nor do they know Megan. They drive to Angela’s house and surprise them and…..
Yeah! A lot of people think the entire film was fake because for one, why wouldn’t Nev and his brother have searched the girl beforehand? Two, it was awfully convenient that they would catch literally everything on camera. Three, Nev’s brother wanted to document him and his relationship with an 8 year old prodigy painter but why? There was nothing super outstanding or particularly interesting about their perceived arrangement. He took pictures, she painted them. So why would they be filming him?
Overall, I think the movie is definitely interesting and worth seeing. It’s not one of those films that you would necessarily regret either way but I would recommend seeing it. The twist is fucking SO UNEXPECTED. The characters are likeable and the plot will definitely keep you invested.
Warning: If you’ve seen trailers for the movie, you need to forget them immediately because, despite what they want you to believe, this film involves no animal abuse, no underground dog-fighting, no child exploitation, no extensive drug ring, no gang activity, etc.
3 out 5 stars for entertainment. The friends and side comments of people are pretty funny and obviously the mystery of Abby and her family is interesting.
If you really have no interest in watching this movie, then you could always read Wikipedia but I put the big reveal under the cut.
Okay, so basically Angela is Megan and she has been texting Nev and calling him (she uses a fake, breathy voice) and she also has been maintaining 15 facebook profiles, complete with events and pictures, etc. Angela and Abby are the only “real” people. Abby doesn’t paint. Angela does. She has a husband who has two mentally handicapped boys from a previous marriage. Angela loves her family but feels like she missed out on her chance to “be something.” One of the reasons she maintained the fake relationships with Nev was the friendship and the opportunity to paint things she doesn’t have access to in Michigan. (Nev lives in New York)
It’s all very sad and very…poignant.
Poignant because as sad as her predicament is, she chose it. It’s clear that she doesn’t necessarily regret the life she chose to live. I don’t know…it really shows the way your life can go. There are always choices and different roads your life can go.
Anyways, ponderings aside!! The picture of “Megan” was of model and photographer Aimee Gonzales who is married with two children in Canada somewhere.
Angela maintains a website where she sells her paintings (which are actually pretty decent)
And she is friends with Nev on facebook.
Rated E... 