Social Nightmare (2013 TV Movie) User Reviews

Social Nightmare (Mother): Asylum's Best Movie?

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 7 June 2015]

The Asylum is an awful company, truly embarrassing. They essentially ripoff existing blockbuster movies, yet every once in a while do something original......like this.

Daryl Hannah may well be the biggest star The Asylum have ever had in one of their movies and she hams it up perfectly in this drama/thriller.

The whole cyber bullying theme won't be new to you and has been done a great deal better but this isn't without its merits. A bearable cast makes the mundane script and beyond belief predictable "Twist" watchable.

Though this brings nothing new to the table you can do a great deal worse. If however you want something similar but made better then give "Nowhere Safe" a go.

A different kind of interesting movie.

[sptrash-1 · 6/10 · 20 September 2013]

I rarely watch movies like this, But have to say it was better than I thought it would be.

Without giving to much details, I would recommend it to those who enjoy watching lifetime specials.

While the plot does seem weak, misleading and very predictable at first, The ending had an interesting twist I never expected.

As for "real life situations" like this, I'd say it is possible.

Cyber-bullying in general is becoming a national problem.

I believe a lesson could be had for anyone who watches this.

regardless of the perpetrator of a Cyber-crime, this movie expresses how severe such a situation could turn out to be for victims of Cyber-crimes.

Don't Overlook This One

[wsmith-26 · 6/10 · 13 January 2014]

This is a Lifetime Channel movie, so I almost passed it by. I am glad I didn't.

The plot summary is a bit misleading here, as the story is really about what happens when someone hacks into your computer and your accounts and starts posting things that are harmful to others. In this case, Catherine Hardy (Kirsten Prout) is the victim, but no one will believe her. Yes, this is hardly a new theme, but still I found the film to be engaging.

Kirsten Prout is very good as Catherine, in an understated way. The school scenes are believable. Chloe Bridges is convincing as Catherine's best friend. The true surprise here is Daryl Hannah, who I always categorized as an actress getting work because of her beauty. Well, Daryl is no longer a spring chicken, but is very good in the role of Catherine's mother.

This would have actually gotten a better rating, but for the horrible ending. It appears the crew got the word to end this film and wrapped it up with a convenient, one scene let's tie it all together and make everyone warm and fuzzy ending. Bummer!

Ridiculous and Offensive

[LoraceDem · 1/10 · 20 November 2013]

This film wastes a potentially interesting subject (an abusive mother who intentionally sabotages and destroys the life of her daughter and friends) by falling into lifetime movie clichés. It was actually disgusting to see all of the shallow, unbelievable and lazy plot points that come up, for instance someone emails a blurry picture of a girl drinking a wine cooler (but it could be a bottle of lemonade for all we know) to admissions at Yale, and they not only open the email and read it, but they revoke a student's admission as a result? It's so bad, though maybe there was some amusement in seeing what actors agreed to slum it for this production; such Rachel True's role as a (vice principal? teacher? counselor?--apparently all three) which she didn't even bother to phone in, and it's always fun seeing Tuvok from star trek voyager. But not only was the depiction of events unbelievable and impossible, so was the end scene ultimately infuriating. Her daughter tells her she's not responsible for leaking naked pictures of her daughter online, drugging her, physically assaulting people and slandering, defaming dozens of students at her daughters school, and she replies that "I know, that's what my therapists told me too, it's just a chemical imbalance." When no, it isn't; you're a criminal and should be in jail, you don't have a right to abuse your daughter or other young people. This kind of abuse is a deep seated pattern that you do need to take responsibility for in order to change. No qualified therapist or mental institution would say "it's not your fault" after all of that. I hate lifetime!

Horrible Movie

[jnhjunk · 1/10 · 13 January 2014]

This movie is so bad that it forced me to write my first review on this site, after years of just browsing. That is how bad this movie is, it forced my lazy nature to actually do something.

Everything is bad with this film...every...single...thing. The acting is atrocious, the editing and directing are completely awful, the writing and dialogue is painful and uninspired. Honestly, I do not have one single thing to compliment this movie on. This movie would be considered awful even by "after school special" standards, which is all if could possibly be compared to. Everything involved with this project should be ashamed and embarrassed to have their name attached to it in any way whatsoever.

Avoid it at all costs and do not waste about an hour and a half of your precious time.

Worst Movie I've Seen in Years

[LAlawMedMBA · 1/10 · 31 August 2013]

This film could have tackled a contemporary issue: The problems of hacked internet accounts and social media. Instead, the most innocent and least likely suspect erupted as the villain--a patently ridiculous ploy used by an utterly incompetent mystery writer. The only clue was the use of psychopharmaceuticals, which are known to be laden with side effects and to vegetate minds. Another horrendous failing was that individuals who appeared to be the culprits, some of whom were admitted to top Ivy League schools, proved instead to be moronic, as did school administrators. Rather than believing that an AP student, elected class president, was innocent, and that she was the victim of hacking, everyone unanimously despised, distrusted, and humiliated her, including her closest friend. Such a social scenario might happen if everyone were developmentally handicapped, but not in any real-world setting.

So Bad, I Wrote My First Review.

[logicalrick · 2/10 · 16 January 2014]

The only reason I'm giving this a 2 is because the idea was good.

Do not watch this movie, I sat through till the end but it was a struggle. Id be shocked if anyone didn't pick the "twist" within 25 minutes.

This is the kind of movie that paints Americans as a bunch of complete ignorant morons. Crazy controlling Mother dons't want to lose her daughter, so she ruins her life and nearly gets her killed. Oh yeah that makes perfect sense!!

In today's social networking world, the idea surrounding the issue of cyber crime and bullying is one to be explored. Whilst the movie did show this point, the underlying mentality behind it was a crazy controlling mother. Not the real issue of social media in today's world. All in all the actors did a fairly good job though.

Best part of the whole movie was the appearance of Tim Ross (for all you Voyager fans)

Such a shame...it could've have been very good...

[hepnershadow · 1/10 · 14 September 2013]

I was just flipping through the stations and stumbled upon this movie. The title seemed interesting since it is a topic that applies to today's teens. There are a few moments where the actors actually care about their work. A better script and storyline would've made a difference. Luckily the young actors will still have a chance to continue.

It's a shame that Daryl Hannah has been reduced to this, and what happened to her face??? The end is purely laughable since you can clearly see she's not choking Emily. I only continued to watch it because I wanted to know who the person was that hacked into Cat's phone and computer. It was also sad to see who I believe was Tim Russ and Holly Robinson Peete (3/2/14 I was looking for something else and just realized Russ was listed and I mistook Rachel True for Peete) in supporting roles, but are not listed in the credits. I guess I wouldn't either if I was in this awful movie. Don't even bother watching if you see it. You'll waste two hours of your life!

Mother aka Social Nightmare is one of those strange movies which with some tinkering could have been better than what you get.

[Amari-Sali · 7/10 · 28 November 2013]

The main reason I saw this film was because there are a lot of familiar faces in it. Daryl Hannah, who I know solely from Kill Bill and that mermaid movie; Kirsten Prout, whose career I'm only familiar with when it comes to her ABC Family shows; Chloe Bridges, who I know from The Carrie Diaries; then there is Brandon Smith, who is one of the many Disney boys who never made it big; and lastly, Rachel True who I remember from The Craft and when she had a show on UPN called Half & Half more than a decade ago.

Together they work in a film which has its flaws, yet remains entertaining throughout, for more specifics, read below.

Characters & Story

The lead for this film is Kirsten Prout's character Catherine who fits 90% of Prout's roles. She is sweet, innocent and has that girl next door charm. The only difference between this character and most of Prout's is that she is popular. Beside her, in a strong supporting role, is Bridge's Emily who is Catherine's academic rival and best friend. When you first meet her though, she does give you the idea that you are about to watch a Thirteen rip-off, but as time goes on you realize that one wine cooler doesn't mean she is going to be the one to blow Catherine's mind. Outside of those two are Daniel (played by Brandon Smith) who is Catherine's boyfriend, with a special needs sister; Mrs. Langran (played by Rachel True) who is the school's guidance counselor and adviser to the Yearbook Club; and lastly there is Susan Hardy (played by Daryl Hannah) the mom experiencing the first onset signs of Empty Nest Syndrome.

Altogether they create a story featuring the reasons why you should change your passwords and create backup fail safes for your social account and phone. Also, as a subplot, the movie also deals with bullying of special needs people, friendship and how school systems really fail at protecting kids. So, needless to say, a lot is going on.

Praise

To begin the praise, I must say I was quite entertained by the film, but this is because I came into it without setting my standard high. It was a movie I never heard of and seeing Daryl Hannah's name on anything is like seeing Eugene Levy, you know not to set your sights too high. But, Prout and Bridges somehow save the film by making it seem like a pilot. Two girls with dreams of opening a business, going to Brown together, dorming together, and both doing a double-major. Off the bat the film has these girls more developed than any film similar.

Then, to add onto things, I liked how Daniel was portrayed as not just a boyfriend but protective big brother as well. However, once the drama came, I feared for the worst, and yet things still kept steady and remained interesting. Admittedly, from the poster alone, and the title I saw for the film, the ending is spoiled, but there were still a handful of moments when I did question if perhaps we were setup to believe something and would end up tricked.

Criticism

Unfortunately though, this did not happen and that is the sole issue I have with the film. If they simply made it so that Susan wasn't so obviously doing everything, this film could have been so much better. Hannah as the mom she plays is fine, she is protective, has good reasoning and though I'm not sure how they afford the big house they live in, I can write that bit off. However, once the drama roles in and Catherine's life goes to hell, there isn't much room for doubt. Yes, they present the idea that people besides Susan could have done it, but they give no real evidence to significantly sway you. In fact, only one incident in the movie makes you think Susan maybe didn't do everything, and they take away that doubt quickly.

Overall: TV Viewing

There is a reason this was a made-for-TV movie. For one, no one in the film, except Daryl Hannah back in the day, are at that point where their name means something when slapped on a film. This isn't to say they aren't talented, but Prout is basically type casted, and Bridges seemingly is on her way to doing the same with her career. Yet, at the same time, the film deserves to be checked out, especially since it is easily available for free, since the only bad element of it is the fact the mystery of who is ruining Catherine's life is weak. Outside of that, there is little wrong with this film. I'd even argue that if you remodeled it, even with Hannah's crazy character, you could potentially make a show out of this. Whether it would be a hit though, I couldn't say.

So incredibly frustrating

[TheLittleSongbird · 2/10 · 23 July 2014]

That's because the idea was brilliant, the negative effects of social media being very much a relevant issue and something that anybody would wholly relate to. And if done right, Social Nightmare also could have been good, what turned out to be though was a movie that was as far away from good as you could go. There are worse movies around and it at least has the idea and a decent performance from Kirsten Prout that salvages it somewhat. But not enough to ignore the badness of everything else, the worst thing being that the reveal of the perpetrator and their motive was not believable for a second(mainly because agreed the person was the least likely one to have done it and the movie at first made it like they couldn't possibly have done) and was actually rather insulting. The characters never rise above the cardboard, shallow stereotypes, and the writing had no natural flow, was lacking in any real sense and sounded increasingly ridiculous as Social Nightmare wore on. The story was just one lazy and WTF plot point after another complete with some irrelevant filler and the closer Social Nightmare gets to the end the duller it gets rather than more suspenseful and compelling, by the time you find out who was responsible you just don't care anymore. And that was reflected in the acting, with Rachel True and Daryl Hannah(at her most unattractive) phoning in and Tim Russ having very little to do, Prout is the one bright spot, you don't engage or identify with their situations and the characters and the actors act like they don't care either. The production values are very Lifetime-movie like, over-saturated colours, editing that jumps around and the odd overlong shot, Social Nightmare is flatly directed and the music is little more than a monotonous bore. In conclusion, an awful movie on its own and to have an idea as brilliant as this gone to total waste is unforgivable. 2/10 Bethany Cox

A good cyberbullying movie, and almost a bit of a thriller.

[face-819-933726 · 8/10 · 20 January 2014]

Starts slow, and kind of creepy, then turns into somewhat of a mystery suspense (almost) thriller. The creepy is Daryl Hannah, yeah she is sure creepy, but I guess that was what they were going for. A good movie with a warning to people that you are never safe, even from those closest to you. Over all this was well acted and I did Enjoy the story. Kristen Prout is really always good. She has that victim look down, but you can easily believe that she is whoever she wants you to. I would recommend this movie to anyone, but mostly parent, and older teens as it really isn't going to be relevant to the youngest generation as this will all have changed by the time they get there. This movie will not be as good in a few years, it just won't be the same types of media, but the story will be timeless, and no matter the media, the story will be able to fit it.

A must-see for future technological audiences

[procanaluminum · 7/10 · 1 February 2014]

Great movie! I don't understand all the rips on this film. My wife & I decided to watch this movie so we could stand up for what is right in the film industry. What did people expect? The movie hit on an important topic of cyber bullying, as well as smothers. I recommend it to people with common sense & good tastes with real expectations. Rated 7 out of 10. Considering we need a max. of 10 lines, I will point out that the student/teacher relationship was a little absurd, as well as the mother seemed flaky at times when her daughter appeared to be suffering from depression. For a TV movie, it had a decent budget & a good cast. People need to realize that cinema isn't reality & sometimes we need a good dose of a reality check. A mother felt the need to protect her child at all costs, which meant social suicide for her daughter.

hahaha........

[bengalakk · 1/10 · 12 August 2019]

Hehe.......among the worst ever. You americans.....

Fantastic premise let down by script

[james_bu · 3/10 · 13 January 2014]

The idea that someone could use your over shared personal data in nefarious ways is one that when presented well, can create a nail biting, edge of your seat experience with a poignant and current cultural message.

This movie took that premise and confused it by mashing together parts from a bunch of different genres to create a movie without any identity.

**SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH** It started out well. The characters were familiar, realistic and easy to identify with. Then as the star's life went downhill the realism followed suit. The initial reaction of her BFF was refusal to accept she might not be responsible...?!? Huh?!? This A+, very popular student, elected class president and given a full scholarship to a good college suddenly started doing really nasty things to everyone around her on the internet when she had everything to lose and nothing to gain and everyone's first reaction was to choose not to believe her?!? WTF?!? The final straw was the girlfriend not remembering that it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for the main character to take the photos FROM INSIDE THE CUPBOARD WITH HER BOYFRIEND!?! Even if, suspending disbelief as much as I could, people around her started to think she'd gone off the rails due to stress, this possibility wasn't even hinted at in the movie. As the evidence mounted up the only remaining suspect became so obvious that it irked me further the characters couldn't see it. **END OF SPOILERS**

With a better script this could have been an A grade movie with the same budget rather than a TV special.

I was very disappointed by this movie which sucked me in with it's opening but if you've got a spare 90 minutes and are very good at suspending your disbelief, it'll pass the time.

Hack Attack

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 15 January 2014]

Sexy blonde high school senior Kirsten Prout (as Catherine "Cat" Hardy) seems to have everything a young woman could want. Besides being drop-dead gorgeous, she's smart enough to be re-elected student council president and is planning on attending an Ivy League college. She lives in an immaculately furnished Los Angeles mansion with her fantastically wealthy single mom Daryl Hannah (as Susan Hardy). Rounding out Ms. Prout's perfect life is best girlfriend Chloe Bridges (as Emily Hargrove) and cuddly kissing partner Brandon Smith (as Daniel). As if all this wasn't enough, nobody wiggles around a pair of shorts like Prout. Nobody. Naturally, her wonderful world comes crashing down. The avenue for evil is social media and the offending cast member is revealed by re-titling this TV Movie "Mother" for home video release. The attempts to drive "Social Nightmare" into most awful rating territory fail as this one amuses by being insanely predictable.

**** Social Nightmare (8/31/13) Mark Quod ~ Kirsten Prout, Daryl Hannah, Chloe Bridges, Brandon Smith

Social Nightmare-Home Grown Terror? **1/2

[edwagreen · 5/10 · 2 October 2013]

A definite call for watching what goes on regarding the internet.

Is Darryl Hannah portraying a mommy-like-dearest character?

The lives of two best friends shall head southward quickly when postings begin showing not such very nice things going on.

The lives of the girls are literally turned upside down. College acceptances are rescinded, one girl, a previous honor student, may not graduate on time.

Everyone is yelling at everyone else. Accusations are flying as the one girl who is allegedly doing this is protesting her innocence.

You know something is amiss when a mother says that her daughter, as a result of all this, is so anxious that she says nothing when the doctor prescribes anxiety pills.

Too much going on here for one's taste.

Not bad

[thediva-89114 · 4/10 · 30 August 2021]

Daryl Hannah is a terrible over actor!

I kinda didn't want to like it, but I stuck with it!

Definitely well worth a watch...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 28 November 2013]

"Social Nightmare" (or "Mother") was actually somewhat of a surprise. When I saw The Asylum in the intro, I was literally rolling my eyes, as The Asylum tend to make really questionable movies that are just as weak on effects as they tend to be on story. However, this is probably the one that flips it all around. Without a doubt, then "Social Nightmare" is the best movie from The Asylum that I have seen to date.

The story is about two girls who are about to graduate from high school and apply to go to the same college, when events turn the entire school upside down. Friendships are tested, loyalties fail and switch, and Cat's life quickly turns to ruins.

Story-wise, then "Social Nightmare" was interesting and had a great story to tell. Sure, it was predictable, especially with a secondary title as "Mother". That really was the ultimate spoiler. But still, as predictable as it was, then the movie was entertaining, but most importantly it was really well acted by those in the various roles. Especially Kirsten Prout (playing Cat) and Chloe Bridges (playing Emily) were doing outstanding jobs.

I must admit that it was the lure of Daryl Hannah that got my attention drawn to this movie. And having seen it, I must admit that this is a rare gem from The Asylum.

Every now and again you hear stories in the media about things such as this, that tragically lead to very sad endings. And it does give you something to think about.

"Social Nightmare" is well worth a watch, especially in this age where our entire lives flourish on the social networks are are within a click's grasp for just everyone to witness.

Very good Lifetime movie

[authorb22 · 10/10 · 3 May 2014]

I don't understand all the hate that this movie gets. I found the movie very entertaining, and thought I feel Daryl Hannah's acting wasn't the best, it didn't hinder the movie by much. And Kirsten Prout it very talented and attractive.

The plot is that high school senior Kat Hardy (Prout), an academically successful student who's class president and recently accepted into Brown university, has her future jeopardized by a hacker who posts inappropriate and insulting things, turning her friends against her. The hacker's actions slowly cause her life to unravel, ultimately causing her to be pulled to the edge of sanity (that's a little extreme, but she does have to take pills for it).

The plot is very intriguing and the acting, for the most part, was very good. But the twist at the end (which I won't spoil) is pretty obvious after a while. Here's some more negatives I have: 1. The movie's DVD title. I won't say it, because it spoils the entire movie. If they HAD to release the movie under a new title, they should have chosen the working title, Offline. 2. Daryl Hannah's performance as Kat's mother, Susan, isn't the best. But it isn't the worst, either.

This is still a great movie to watch. But I suggest watching it on TV so you don't get it spoiled by the DVD title.

Worth seeing it... *spoilers everywhere*

[Jelena555 · 8/10 · 15 January 2014]

I can not express myself right by just stating if I liked or disliked this movie. But if I have to chose one option, I will say I liked it. I liked the fact that it was made in this particular way.

The weird thing is I knew from the very beginning that it was the mother. Okay, the alternative title kind of gives that away, and many people might have thought of that, but... just one scene with the mother and I knew... That possessiveness of a parent that sometimes reaches past limits of sanity is just ... I don't even have words for it. I hate possessive and selfish people, I certainly know how manipulative parents can be (doesn't have to be from experience, observing can be more than enough sometimes), and it grosses me ...

I'm glad they made this movie, and although the acting has it's flaws and there are fair number of goofs, in this case, it's the thought that counts. Many teenagers and young adults who are still living with their parents and feel like they are constrained, not really doing what they want in their lives only because they might hurt or disappoint the parents, should see this movie and reexamine if everything is okay in their home environment. Bullying doesn't have to be from outside, it can be right in front of our eyes all the time, and we might not be able to see it, because it comes from people who we love and trust the most.

Parents are known for blackmailing their children from early age. First they are innocent and protective blackmails, but with time they should just stop.

I loved the scene where the mother tried to strangle Emily again even while the police was there, because it clearly shows her determination and belief that she is doing something right for her daughter and herself. But no, she was selfish and sick.

The ending made me very happy, because it says that although there may be a struggle, betrayal, broken heart, lost trust, pain, chaos and confusion, if you do the right thing and don't give up until you know the truth, there is a way out, there is possibility of finding the right path again and a chance of starting over. Only thing is, during the whole process you should be sure who you are, where you are going and to believe in yourself.

And one more thing... I hated the way the school dealt with the whole thing. I mean, yes, it was the mother, but... they just gave up on their best student. No one with the right mind changes that abruptly. They could've kept Cat in office and see that changes happen on her page while she has no access to the Internet. I consider that a plot hole, but it had to happen in order for the movie to end as it did - the painful way, Cat finding for herself.

Without further ado, I give this movie a 7.5.

Good through the end...

[ricardowattz8 · 9/10 · 12 January 2014]

I liked this movie. I liked the main girl and was totally gripped to the end to find out who was the hacker responsible for the girl's nightmare. The resolution was good and satisfying. Since watching the movie I noticed the marketing for the film and think it is terrible - since it is completely SPOILER full! Do not look at the poster or read the tag-line or the entire film will be ruined!

As a TV movie it definitely is a good watch. There isn't much in the way of anything new or anything interesting in terms of camera angles and the way the film was shot - but I think this is the m.o. for Lifetime anyway and as such, it was far better than expected.

Performances all around were good - and nuanced enough that the ending worked well. Generally the acting good and there were some funny moments too.

Pleasantly Surprised

[jrmeretis · 9/10 · 4 May 2019]

Though it's not flawless, it's actually a really interesting story with plenty of twists and turns. I was pleasantly surprised, considering the mostly negative reviews. The "twist" would have been really well done, if not for it being spoiled in the one of the titles and some of the cover art itself. Seriously, who thought it would be a good idea to spoil the twist literally before the film even begins? A very bad decision on their parts

Kirsten Zien Gives Academy Award Delivery

[luisriosjr-1 · 8/10 · 17 April 2018]

Kirsten Zien gives an Academy Award performance toward the end of the movie when she confronts her mother in the kitchen.