Chatroom and Turning Those Smiles Upside Down: A Movie Review

Director: Hideo Nakata.

Writer: Enda Walsh.

Chatroom is a British shot film from the Japanese director Hideo Nakata (Ring) and Irish playwright Enda Walsh (Hunger). This is another recent film from the UK which deals with cyber bulling, Panic Button being the other. In this film, the production is much less claustrophobic and the visuals, in true Nakata style, are more elaborate than Panic Button. Released on DVD earlier this year (June 14th), Chatroom plays with genre while showing the harm of predatory behaviour on the internet?

That question mark is intentional because the characters in the film do not have strong identities and neither does the film. William (Aaron Johnson) appears as a charismatic friend welcoming in the local "Chelsea Teens!" But, appearances can be deceiving on the internet. Soon, Eva (Imogen Poots), Jim (Matthew Beard), Mo (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emily (Hannah Murray) are falling for his smooth talking ways. And William has a plan. Suicidal himself, William wants others to take their own lives for his own demented and murky reasons. All of this double talking, manipulation and conniving takes place in Nakata's metaphor for the interweb, a series of seedy halls and welcoming rooms/chatrooms.

Nakata is known for his use of visual style and haunting imagery e.g. the Ring; however some critics would question his understanding of the issues at hand e.g. cyber stalking, taunting. One review suggests that cyber bullying is not relevant. Try telling that to a parent of a teenager who has a laptop and access to nefarious characters across the world. As well, none of the scenes seem awkward and Nakata's characters seem real and have issues. Mo has confusing desires, Jim is struggling with abandonment issues and Eva struggles with her petty friends. These seem like real issues to this film fan, but this reviewer does have one bone to pick with the filmmakers.

The mood of this film is overly dark. Promotional material for this film might suggest a horror film awaits, yet this is more dramatic thriller than anything else and the emphasis is on the drama. The issues at hand for the characters including suicide are also very dark, as previous suicide attempts show on William's arm. The music from Kenji Kawai also emphasizes an evocative but slightly depressing mood. And when the finally ends in a confusing tragedy, you know that you will not be walking away from this film with a spring in your step and a smile on your face. Instead, you might be tempted to wallow like many of the characters on the screen; so, this reviewer would suggest you invite a friend to pull you out of the film's downshifting mood.

Chatroom deals with relevant issues in a serious way. Some scenes are disturbing as characters deal with suicidal ideations and other topics. Rated restricted, this is a film for adults, despite the characters being or portraying teenagers. As well, the film's final message does not come through very strongly and the entire film feels a little murky. In conclusion, this film is for fans of drama rather than horror and this film is only for the most stalwart, who do not flinch during disturbing scenes.

Overall: 6.75 (deep issues, damaged characters, dark tones and music equals one depressing ride).

Another review of this title at Beyond Hollywood (James Mudge):

Chatroom Reviewed at Beyond Hollywood


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Posted in: 2011,2011 release,britain,drama,dramatic thriller,dramatic thriller preview,movie poster,movie review,release date,thriller,uk,united kingdom