A female Londoner snapchats her life, including the aftermath of a horrific attack.
I'm not someone who uses social media much, and when I do, I prefer to keep myself on the edges of it rather than putting my whole life up there. I do recognize though that this is very much related to my age, since the current generation doesn't seem to see a line between themselves and the internet. Knowing this, Cracked Screen doesn't feel so much like a gimmick, but rather just part of the communication that is perfectly normal for our lead character. The first half of the film served to remind me why I avoid such tools; we see a confident young woman, talking naturally (including errors) and living her life online. In the middle of the film the tone shifts drastically, and the second half is a much different experience.
I shan't say too much, but there is a lot in there. The character loses her way in the social media world, finding it to be less than real life – or perhaps more just an 'honest' version thereof. Race and gender both play a part in here too, and in a way we can understand both the lead character, but also the faceless online viewers who watch but do not connect – it is an entertainment. That the lead character is complicit in this in the first half of the film is telling – this is what this world is, and it is harshly and starkly portrayed in the final scenes. Technically it is a very rough and ready affair (presumably because Snapchat is too), and this did put me off a little bit; but in the end it is the heart of the film that makes it work, and there is a lot to be engaged with here.
I'm not someone who uses social media much, and when I do, I prefer to keep myself on the edges of it rather than putting my whole life up there. I do recognize though that this is very much related to my age, since the current generation doesn't seem to see a line between themselves and the internet. Knowing this, Cracked Screen doesn't feel so much like a gimmick, but rather just part of the communication that is perfectly normal for our lead character. The first half of the film served to remind me why I avoid such tools; we see a confident young woman, talking naturally (including errors) and living her life online. In the middle of the film the tone shifts drastically, and the second half is a much different experience.
I shan't say too much, but there is a lot in there. The character loses her way in the social media world, finding it to be less than real life – or perhaps more just an 'honest' version thereof. Race and gender both play a part in here too, and in a way we can understand both the lead character, but also the faceless online viewers who watch but do not connect – it is an entertainment. That the lead character is complicit in this in the first half of the film is telling – this is what this world is, and it is harshly and starkly portrayed in the final scenes. Technically it is a very rough and ready affair (presumably because Snapchat is too), and this did put me off a little bit; but in the end it is the heart of the film that makes it work, and there is a lot to be engaged with here.
