Chatroom

UK Release: 22nd December 2010

Watched on Recorded TV: Friday 20th April 2012

Rating: 15

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Runtime: 1hr 37mins

Tagline: Control. Alter. Delete.

IMDb Plot Synopsis: A group of teenagers encourage each other's bad behavior in a chatroom "Chelsea Teens!".

My Review: It was 10 minutes or so in before I realised how clever this film was. It could have been a rather boring film filming some teenagers sat at their computer screens typing but instead the producers made something brilliant visually by placing them into ‘rooms’ and we see them interact. I don’t know if it’s ever been done before (I’ve certainly never seen it) but it’s so incredibly smart don’t know why no-one hasn’t thought of it before!

As the film went on you see the film descend into some really dark places but while it was uncomfortable in places it was still a gripping watch and if it wasn’t for the spectacular acting from the five teens (Imogen Poots, Daniel Kaluuya and Aaron Johnson especially) it wouldn’t be anywhere near as impacting. Johnson’s character, William, was the leader of the group and as we watch him we see him turn more and more sick and twisted - making for a great climax at the end. 

All in all, the film is an interesting social commentary on 21st century life, as our lives online overlap and have powerful consequences in the real world. 

Score: 7.5/10