CATFISH

You should see Catfish if you are an adult looking for a compelling documentary with a serious warning about online relationships and social networking. It is entertaining, captivating, briskly edited, and full of riveting twists and turns. Its central question is both fascinating and unsettling: who are people when they present themselves through screens?

The film includes brief foul language, sexual dialogue, coarse joking, a “sexting” conversation, and suggestive photos. Its worldview is mixed, and deception shapes the story even as the filmmakers search for truth. Those elements make it unsuitable for children and young teens.

For discerning adults, Catfish is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.

Nev Schulman is a New York City photographer who lives with his brother and a friend, both aspiring filmmakers. After seven-year-old Abby from Michigan sends Nev a painting of one of his photographs, the group becomes involved with her family online.

Nev connects with Abby’s relatives, including her older sister, Megan. As their online relationship deepens, Nev and his roommates begin questioning the story they have been told. Their suspicions lead them on a road trip to Michigan in search of the truth.

Four stars means Catfish is highly entertaining and expertly paced. The 88-minute documentary moves briskly, with good editing and riveting twists and turns. Its hook is fascinating, even while seeming almost too incredible to believe.

The filmmakers claim the movie is absolutely true, with no manipulation on their part. If that claim is accurate, the documentary demonstrates that truth can be stranger than fiction. Its captivating approach makes the warning about the virtual world difficult to dismiss.

Catfish presents a mixed pagan worldview alongside immoral, anti-biblical behavior. Deception is the film’s overall theme, but the filmmakers seek the truth rather than simply accepting what they first encounter. The documentary exposes the dangers of social networking and the deceptive capabilities of people in an online society.

The film’s central concern is the gap between appearance and reality. Online identities can invite connection, affection, and trust, but they can also conceal damaging deception. Scripture calls people away from falsehood and toward truth: “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25).

Catfish is a fascinating, well-made documentary that exposes the dangers of social networking and the pitfalls of the virtual world. Its mature sexual content, language, mixed worldview, and theme of deception require discernment. For discerning adults, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.