We Are All going to the World’s Fair

“(Screened at IFFBoston 2021.)”

Brett says: “A shocking and revelatory debut feature film from director Jane Schoenburn and lead actress Anna Cobb, WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR is the ominous and necessary title to a film that is sure to pulsate in viewers’ minds after a screening like the ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) internet trend that a significant portion of the film explores and acknowledges. For those possibly out of the loop, among the long list of internet subcultures that continue to spawn in our current era, reaching a low-key ‘high’ (an apparent oxymoron, but in this case an unlocked sensory paradox) through synthetic audio and visual stimuli is the aforementioned ASMR that has attracted a significant pocket of adherents and experimenters in this age of content creation/live streaming/YouTube mania.”If you’re not lost yet, keep trying, as apparently one must reach a sense of ‘lost’ in order to discover the World’s Fair itself. This film is a daring experiment that defies narrative coherence at times in order to achieve the sensation and the appropriate tone to encapsulate modern culture’s mysterious world of ever-evolving roleplay and identity search. Just as a kid from the mid-20th century might be scolded from parents or adults to ‘put down the darn comic books’ as a sort of concern about over-active immersion into the fantastical and—perceptibly—the perverse, today’s youth and even a subsection of adults find themselves under a similar judgment microscope through extrasensory experiments designed to open up new ideas about reality and illusion and creativity. As such, film-maker Jane Schoenburn does not pull any punches in creating what is all at once a horror film and a sincere coming of age cinema verite-like experience. Whichever the audience experiences at whichever times throughout the film is likely a reflection of the audience themselves in those moments.

“Main character Casey (Anna Cobb) is a somewhat emotionally troubled and lost teen who begins the film with a slow-playing face-to-camera interaction with her webcam as she records herself for her audience of followers/viewers, teetering with the idea of beginning ‘the World’s Fair Challenge.’ It’s not unique for me to note that these are, in part, similar vibes presented in the landmark modern teen identity film EIGHTH GRADE. However, what young Casey is about to take part in creates an otherworldly experience that tinkers with viewers’ minds and their own perceptions of reality throughout the film, a stark contrast to the aforementioned comparison film. By the end, it’s highly likely that anyone not keen to a modern take on identity search might ask, ‘what did I just watch?’ The answer, oddly enough, is ‘reality.’

“Casey seeks a place in the world, and in doing so, she—like so many modern teens and pre-teens—follows the rabbit holes of online user-created content to discover ‘the World’s Fair’ and all its available lore. What is it exactly? It is a cross between live action roleplaying and self-discovery. The few who are in on it are creating their own versions of it, but the tie that binds is that everyone keeps the hidden reality progressing. Say the phrase ‘I’m going to the World’s Fair’ CANDYMAN-style three times combined with a cringe bit of self-harm and find yourself locked in the journey of self-discovery as to what that means for you while others watch your journey and possibly reciprocate along the way.

“As if that’s not odd and mysterious enough for more traditional daydreamers, a second character eventually makes his way into the picture. Although Casey’s posts and videos get barely any consistent attention or views, one such ticket-holder to the World’s Fair pays particular attention to Casey’s progression through her online videos. It is an older man, and as such, the sense of terror from the film intensifies. What’s actually happening is director Schoenburn is exploiting those audience tendencies to view this sense of voyeurism and eventual communication between the two as unacceptable in order to tap into the version of ‘unacceptable’ that each character seems to be feeling about themselves and the world itself. Not that this makes many audience members any more OK with it, but the disillusionment of internet subcultures creating these new innovative means of self-exploration and self-doubt is on full display with this featured online relationship that develops. And again, it’s a fresh and authentic way to make ‘horror’ out of a film that’s not actually of that genre, and it does so much more effectively than large studio productions that advertise and tout the ‘horror’ tag for their mediocre, worn-out attempts at scares. In short, this film creates more fright in its honest and true-to-life experimentation in depicting the strain of identity culture in the 2010s-2020s than actual horror films.

“Finally, what’s more is that in the year of the pandemic, this film is more likely to be seen on a streaming device than the big screen at a festival. Although that’s not the intent of the film-makers, this film actually benefits greatly from the fact that most reviewers and audience members are going to have that same unnerving experience as I did in having the lights completely off and watching it from my iPad or mobile device: an eerie dip into the same medium that permeates throughout the film. Long stares into the camera within long, all-too realistic takes draw viewers’ eyes up at the webcam staring back at them as they watch, supporting a sense of disillusionment and uneasiness from the idea of entering an alternate reality created by the film.

“If nothing else, check out the awe-inspiring debut performance of lead actress Anna Cobb, a young talent likely to be overlooked by mainstream outlets and reviewers. The film is not easy by any means. There are not always clear dots to connect, but staying the course allows the experience of modern identity seekers and alternate reality innovation to sink in. In that sense, it is a film that ‘shows’ instead of ‘tells.’ And for me, that is what is missing so often in films that explore unique subject matter. WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR stays true to its title and allows us to be transported there rather than having it conveniently explained away. 4 cats 

“Recommended for fans of experimental narrative

“Recommended for those who appreciate horror that isn’t always horror

“Recommended for those intrigued by the evolution of modern internet subcultures

“Not recommended for anyone who finds the ‘true horror’ of the internet age to be locating the on/off button on a laptop”