A very stylised, modern take on that very modern crime, cyber-bullying in this two-part Netflix true-crime documentary. We're introduced to three pretty young girls in different parts of England, all unknown to the other, one of whom has the unusual occupation of professional fire-eater, who in direct pieces-to-camera tell of how their personal lives have been affected by the insidious actions of an on-line stalker who lures them in with various takes on the series title. Pretty soon this invasion escalates with an air of menace attaching to the myriad number of messages they each has to field. In time, as they come to realise that they're not the only ones being targeted and eventually with the help of a diligent police officer who himself admits his own lack of experience in this area, the individual behind all the mayhem is tracked down and we see him convicted and sent away for a long time.
I must admit that living your life on social media isn't something to which I would ever aspire or can even understand in others but it seems to be very important to the young people here. When this Matthew Hardy character starts to disrupt their lives, it's difficult not to feel some sympathy for their plights especially when he tries to disrupt their relations with family and friends. We're eventually told that Hardy is "on the spectrum" in some way and has had a difficult, almost friendless childhood and that this has fired his enmity, although we're never told why he only targets photogenic young women.
I must admit, I found it very hard to engage with the production style used to tell the story. Each girl gets photographed from multiple angles as they tell their individual stories, almost like they were "Love Island" contestants and even get to act out reconstructions of the crimes committed against them. Hardy's on-line presence is characterised by a distorted voice speaking his texts and further enhanced by using a glowing electrified grid to show his various transmissions and even a creepy "smiley" monster personification of the stalker, as if borrowed from some modern-day horror movie. Likewise the treatment of the seeming sole cop who eventually cracks the case but who appears to be very much acting his part in front of the camera.
I'm glad the guy was put away and that these girls and others can resume their daily lives although it makes one wonder if this is the tip of the iceberg in this new, decidedly grey area which has enteted into daily life for many, especially in the young set.
I get that the youthful age of the participants and nature of the crime influenced the unusual, edgy way this story was told but personally I'd have preferred a more traditional old-style documentary take on this strangely unsettling story.
I must admit that living your life on social media isn't something to which I would ever aspire or can even understand in others but it seems to be very important to the young people here. When this Matthew Hardy character starts to disrupt their lives, it's difficult not to feel some sympathy for their plights especially when he tries to disrupt their relations with family and friends. We're eventually told that Hardy is "on the spectrum" in some way and has had a difficult, almost friendless childhood and that this has fired his enmity, although we're never told why he only targets photogenic young women.
I must admit, I found it very hard to engage with the production style used to tell the story. Each girl gets photographed from multiple angles as they tell their individual stories, almost like they were "Love Island" contestants and even get to act out reconstructions of the crimes committed against them. Hardy's on-line presence is characterised by a distorted voice speaking his texts and further enhanced by using a glowing electrified grid to show his various transmissions and even a creepy "smiley" monster personification of the stalker, as if borrowed from some modern-day horror movie. Likewise the treatment of the seeming sole cop who eventually cracks the case but who appears to be very much acting his part in front of the camera.
I'm glad the guy was put away and that these girls and others can resume their daily lives although it makes one wonder if this is the tip of the iceberg in this new, decidedly grey area which has enteted into daily life for many, especially in the young set.
I get that the youthful age of the participants and nature of the crime influenced the unusual, edgy way this story was told but personally I'd have preferred a more traditional old-style documentary take on this strangely unsettling story.