Chatroom (2010)

5 teenagers are introduced to each other in a chatroom called "Chelsea Teens!", all with different personalities. But when one shows its darker side, it threatens the life of the others.

Director:

Hideo Nakata

Writers:

Enda Walsh (play), Enda Walsh (screenplay)

Stars:

Jacob Anderson, Matthew Ashforde, Dorothy Atkinson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jacob Anderson	...	Si
Matthew Ashforde	...	Jim's Father
Dorothy Atkinson	...	Emily's Mother
Matthew Beard	...	Jim
Alex Blake	...	Man on Mobile Phone
Noa Bodner	...	Woman at Book Launch
Amanda Boxer	...	Mrs. Sinclair
Lorraine Cheshire	...	Yorkshire Housewife
Megan Dodds	...	Grace
Michelle Fairley	...	Rosie
Matthew Fenton	...	Young Jim
Elarica Johnson	...	Ushi (as Elarica Gallacher)
Nicholas Gleaves	...	Paul
Ross Gurney-Randall	...	Large Camden Man
Gerald Home	...	Tony Layton

Storyline

5 teenagers are introduced to each other in a chatroom called "Chelsea Teens!", all with different personalities. But when one shows its darker side, it threatens the life of the others.

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Plot Keywords:

self injury | depression | teenager | friendship | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

Control. Alter. Delete.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content, some sexual material and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook [Japan] Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 2010 (UK)

Also Known As:

Chat room

Filming Locations:

Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London, England, UK

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$552,535

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ruby Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hideo Nakata's second English-language film after The Ring Two (2005).

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Quotes

[last lines]
William: Now!

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Alternate Versions

The film was altered based on advice given by the BBFC at the script stage to avoid a potential 18 certificate. Several lines of sexual dialogue were altered, and the filmmakers were also advised to avoid "novel detail" when it came to shoot the suicide scenes.

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Connections

References Bugsy Malone (1976)

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Soundtracks

Somersault
Music by Sky Larkin
Written by Harkin
Published by Wichita Songs Ltd/Domino Publ. Co. Ltd (PRS)
Courtesy of Wichita Recordings
By arrangement with Mixtape Music

User Reviews

The Social Network...

Before I set to record this film, that was shown on Film 4 last night, I presumed it'd be a trite U.S. comedy/horror, full of gross-out and stoned slackers.

How pleasantly surprised I was to find it to be a deep, unpredictable British psychological thriller that's high on design and imagination. Yes, the actors look like they've escaped off sets of U.K teen dramas such as Skins, but they are playing characters that that market already caters for.

It's quite neat how the protagonist, Aaron Johnson, (Will) is accessing the chat-room in question via his PC or smartphone but is also then seen within it. As we soon get to know, Will's psychological make-up and difficulties are complex and largely unexplained. Is the chat-room itself purely in his mind and is the labyrinth of other rooms that we see at the start also only in his imagination? If so, that's quite a neat way of adding extra texture and substance that's already there.

The challenging soundscapes and things like the animations add extra meat to the body of expression that director Hideo Nakata uses - and I personally liked them and thought they added to the film. Some of the discussions on serious emotional conditions and suicide may help those who are exposed to those feelings and experiences, or they may not - depending on how mentally well one is. But at least it raises them, which is quite brave.

I don't necessarily think that the "hammy" acting that many have criticised is out of place here - touching and nuanced performances would be out of place in this aggressively symbolic and stylised movie. And, when one types on Facebook, with modern, abbreviated cyber-speak and even more so with Twitter, then dialogue is even more stilted, with even less room for delicate expression.

The other characters add to the mixture of messed-up heads and some social comment on what is acceptable and what isn't gets some interesting airing. I think many viewers who've come back from the pub and expected a simple cat and mouse cyber-bullying flick may have well been unprepared for how deep and complex this thriller is and been put off by that. It's a brave and imaginative film; flawed, yes. A nice bonus for those of us who've visited the locations such as Camden Lock and London Zoo are indeed, the familiar locations.