Social media and YouTube have shown our culture that they are new avenues towards fame and sometimes fortune. But there’s a dark side of celebrity that’s explored in “Mainstream,” the latest directorial effort from Gia Coppola (“Palo Alto“). Coppola, the niece of Roman and Sofia Coppola, obviously comes from filmmaking royalty roots, but she really impressed with her 2013 coming-of-age film “Palo Alto.” “Mainstream” has a major cast too, including Maya Hawke (“Stranger Things,” “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood“), Andrew Garfield (“Silence,” “The Amazing Spider-Man“), Nat Wolff (“Paper Towns,” “Home Again“) and Jason Schwartzman (“Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel“).
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Perhaps the most notable thing about the film, however, was its polarizing reception. “Mainstream” premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, and the response was divisive, to say the least (including ours). And that would be two movies in a row, for Garfield where he tried something just very bold and big, and it met with a similar love or hate response (see “Under the Silver Lake“). Frankly, though, that just makes the entire effort intriguing and something some of us just have to see for ourselves.
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Here’s the official synopsis:
MAINSTREAM follows a young woman (Maya Hawke) who thinks she’s found a path to internet stardom when she starts making YouTube videos with a charismatic stranger (Andrew Garfield) – until the dark side of viral celebrity threatens to ruin them both.
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In today’s social media-focused society: what constitutes popularity, how do we struggle to be creative in a modern age of “cool,” what is it like growing up with a social media presence. MAINSTREAM will leave you analyzing your relationship with social media while acting as a cautionary fairytale about what our culture values and the psychological dangers that can come with it. Featuring appearances from some of today’s most prominent social media stars, including Patrick Starrr and Jake Paul.
“Mainstream” opens in select theaters, on digital platforms, and VOD May 7 via IFC Films. Watch the first trailer below.