Catfish

I do not understand how Angela could sleep at night being a duplicitous cheat and liar who felt totally fine being a sociopathic nutcase leading on Nev and creating an entire fantasy world. Her having a difficult home life is absolutely not an excuse. Nev was only 24 at the time, and I'm sure only relatively experienced at relationships. To inflict such hurt and pain on anyone should be against the law. Frankly, Angela should be happy Nev didn't sue her in a torts case, because he'd probably have excellent grounds from which to extract damages to his emotional well-being.As someone who herself was the victim of numerous catfishes throughout my undergraduate career as a result of being too trusting and too naive on online/internet dating, I take sincere offense that Angela felt no remorse in lying ruthlessly and maliciously. Nev will probably have a hard time trusting future partners because of Angela's misdeeds, and I know this because I myself have experienced this result. Throughout college, I had several long-distance, penpal relationships with men I never met in person and with whom I never spoke to on the phone. I never thought anything was fishy because I was too young and inexperienced to know that you cannot be in a real relationship with someone you've never met in person and whose real name you do not know. Though friends had warned me to be careful in terms of the correspondences, I was hardheaded and felt I knew what I was doing--don't we all at 20--and thought I'd be able to navigate everything on my own. Lo and behold, one guy whom I felt was "the one" turned out to be a psycho stalker from high school who sought revenge on me, another guy deleted his account before I could hire a private investigator, and another guy stopped talking to me when I turned 22, because he felt any girl over 21 was "too old." I guess being lonely and stressed out from my pre-med curriculum led me to be so gullible and naive, but these guys had no reason to exploit my innocence by lying to my face and refusing to meet me in person, just like Nev didn't deserve what happened to him either. We were both complete victims in our situations.Had I watched this movie the minute I graduated from high school, I would've known that there were psychotic people out there who create fake identities to lure and mislead their innocent victims, and maybe would've taken advantage of real-world dating sooner. This movie was a total eye-opener for me, and it made me realize how lucky I am that one of the guys (or girls?) with whom I corresponded didn't kill me in my sleep or rob me or anything. I really hope other young women (and men!) learn from my mistake and this movie and avoid talking to strangers on Facebook and/or other social media sites. There are some real psychos out there and I think it really helps impressionable young people to know that they're much better served by forcing themselves to be social to find a significant other instead of taking the easy road and trying to find romance online (or, in my case, exclusively online). Especially if a person is sheltered, like I was, it really, really is necessary for colleges and high schools to show this film so people are aware of the nasty underbelly of the Internet. I wouldn't wish being catfished on my worst enemy.Again, fantastic film.

This was really a sweet movie. I just loved how compassionate and understanding Nev was.

We showed this to our teenage daughters it’s both a well made documentary and a great cautionary tale.

If you're a fan of the T.V. show catfish and are just looking for something to watch in-between episodes ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE!We thought this movie would have the same often lighthearted tone as the T.V. show, and that the drama would be intriguing and scintillating.I think part of what makes the T.V. show lighthearted is that Max and Nev have been doing this for so long, they're able to comfort, counsel, and bring humor to the situation. It's also been years and years and to some degree you always feel like "They should have known better."But this movie came before all of the experience and all of the years of information about catfishing. There is a naiveté in Nev that is so bright and hopeful, and when he experiences heartbreak, you experience it with him.His visit to his catfish is so painful, I was at times left breathless. Not only is it awkward, it's painfully hopeless and pitiful. The way that Angela still admires Nev, and the way that he still tries to be kind to her--in the midst of just absolute psychological shock is gut-wrenching. Finding out the reason Angela does what she does is heart-wrenching. When the movie ended I felt sick to my stomach and cried for a long time. I had to find my husband and spend time with him to remind myself that my life isn't like hers, and I'm happy where I am. For someone as empathetic as I am, the movie was too immersive--too visceral.All that said, this movie was amazing. It was more of an experience than entertainment. After watching Catfish and falling in love with Nev and feeling like you know him, it was like sharing in your best friend's worst life experience. You don't do it for the entertainment value or the fun. You do it to either love your friend better or to understand the world more.I feel like I understand the world more, but as is often the case, I wish I didn't.

Like the documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop", "Catfish" tends to blur the lines between legitimate documentary filmmaking and embellished reality. In this case, the trailers tease of something more frightening. Perhaps something like "The Blair Witch Project". Brilliant marketing I must say. Even after reading some reviews when it was released, I was surprised that the film is what it is. That is, it mostly is a home video of sorts that follows a 24 year old New York artsy type and his Facebook affair with an 8 year old, a 19 year old sister and their 30 something mother that live in the Michigan U.P.The film is shot by Nev's brother Ariel and their best friend Henry. While in Vail for a job, shooting a live dance show, they become suspicious of the reality of the Facebook friends, including the 19 year old who had become smitten with Nev. They decide to travel to Michigan to see for themselves. This is where it gets interesting. Yeah, I was getting a little squeamish when they decide to look in to a dark farmhouse at 2:30 AM. Clearly, this was just a set up to spook the audience...and damn if it doesn't work.Ultimately we see what social media has done to us. The guys have it right. We have a lonely, talented housewife, not pretty, not educated and not going anywhere. Instead of getting upset, we and the boys begin to feel sympathy for Angela's plight. I have to say this is a well done film that is informative and entertaining.

I bought this to watch with my daughter that has intellectual disabilities to help her know the dangers of talking to people she doesn't know . It really helped to show her . We watch the MTV show all the time

Love the show

CATFISH(dir Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman/86 minutes)There's been quite a bit of controversy surrounding this alleged `documentary', with many claiming that it was elaborately staged by its stars. It feels authentic and never puts a foot wrong, though personally, I find the events that unfold in the film slightly difficult to accept as an accurate constitution of reality; everything seems just that little bit too coincidental to be true, and I agree with others (including Super Size Me nutcase Morgan Spurlock) who have noted that the film-makers started rolling the tape very early on, before anything suspicious or untoward had occurred. However, who cares? Fact or fiction, truth or false, this is a compelling, engaging, fascinating experience - like all the best documentaries there is a story here that twists, turns and shocks in equal measure. The story begins when professional photographer Nev is sent a painting of one of his photographs by an eight-year-old child prodigy. They subsequently establish a friendship on Facebook, which leads to Nev befriending her entire family and striking up a long distance romance with the singer/songwriter teenage daughter. However, without giving too much away, things aren't what they seem. What follows is certainly memorable...

This review contains spoilers, so don't read it if you want to see this movie "fresh".Being real of not was the first question that likely popped into your head in 1999 when you first saw the small budget movie "Blair Witch Project" (BWP). Later, we all learned how real it was...So, what about "Catfish". First, it's truly fresh and interesting movie. It's very much like BWP, only taking place in the cyberspace. Catfish has an amateur feel to it, even though the post production has been professional. It all makes it more believable.But is it real? Is it a clever marketing plot for a painter in Michigan? Is it a stepping stone for three young wannabe movie producers? Only the producers know for sure. I predict it's partly fabricated, mostly real. What's real are the people, including the family in Michigan. The woman actually exists, and she paints for a living. She has two websites selling her works, one of them has been online since 2007. That's way before the events of Catfish start to take place. Also, their house exists, and they really live there.After all, it doesn't matter if Catfish is 100 percent real. It's intrigueing in itself, and what's best about it is that it COULD be real. There is nothing in it that could not have happened in real life. I mean, people win millions of Dollars in lottery, right? It happens, but it's very rare. All the events of "Catfish" happening to someone in real life (and the video cameras actually filming everything from early on) is very much possible but rare.What's best about 'Catfish' is how it makes you think about these isues. It makes you think about people in Facebook with 15 fabricated accounts living fabricated lives behind stolen photos of someone they don't even know. It makes you think about people living in lie and denial. Catfish will make you think!

A fantastic and unique film, starting as a mockumentary, going on as a thriller that keeps you on the edge for 3/4 of the story, and then takes a completely different direction with an amazing twist.Catfish is not only a film that insoired a whole series, but a smart marketing operation: by watching the trailer you think it is a horror film, one of the really scary ones, and this generate a constant tensione throughout the whole vision of the film, down to the shocking twist. i will not say more. I can only add that, watching it again, it does not lose its appeal.

I could (and often do) watch this film over and over and over again. There's probably not much to be said that hasn't already been said, but for those of you who like to see just how complicated, weird, deceitful, clever, stupid and bizarre some people can be in the pursuit of love, then this film is most definitely your boy. It will possibly be unsurpassed as a documentary of someone's slow motion car crash of a love life, and is most surely a lesson to us all in one way or another. My only gripe is that the extras on this could have included the mini-show of Nev meeting Megan, but you can always youtube that. BUT only after you've seen the whole film first. Don't miss this!!

The very first Catfish story that prompted the UK and USA programmes. Although, you are left wondering if it all really happend of are some scenes scripted, like many American reality shows.