This is a Cannes entry? We just finished watching the lengthy three-minute trailer for Hideo Nakata’s “Chatroom” and we’re clearly not seeing what Cannes festival organizers did in order to give it a slot in the Un Certain Regard programming of the upcoming fest. Nakata, best known for directing scare flicks “The Ring” and “Dark Water,” this is more of a thriller than the traditional horror fare he usually serves up, it seems like a straight-to-DVD movie with slightly better production values.
Starring Aaron Johnson (“Kick-Ass”) and Imogen Poots (“Me And Orson Welles,” “Cracks”) the film seems like every other ‘teenagers-doing-bad-things’ flick except this time with the added twist of the internet. The only thing that is catching our eye is the set design which were told from someone who worked on the film was quite impressive, and it certainly is attention-grabbing here. But honestly, this feels like an episode of “Skins” stretched to a feature-length format.
There are no official release dates yet for the film, and though distribution is locked up in many international territories, there is no U.S. distributor yet on board. The complete synopsis and trailer are below:
When jaded teens Jim, Eva, Emily, and Mo meet William online, they’re seduced by his charisma. But William isn’t what he seems. He’s calculating and manipulative and doesn’t have time for people in the real world. Jim is vulnerable and has no idea how dangerous his new friendship with William will be. When Jim confesses he’s on anti-depressants, William knows he’s found a victim. He vows to help Jim get off his drugs, and the rest of the group fall in line. What begins as friendly advice to help Jim becomes twisted, and Eva and Mo realize the deadly game William’s playing, but the wheels are in motion. Jim is set on a path of self-destruction and is going to do the unthinkable. As Eva, Emily, and Mo try to save Jim, William begins a terrifying game of cat and mouse, chasing them across the Internet, shutting down their systems and cutting them off from his victim. Fantasy meets reality when William and Jim are face-to-face in rush hour on the underground. Without the faceless security of the online world, everything becomes real. It’s now a race against time to save Jim, but the clock is ticking… and we fear someone must die.
–Written by Kevin Jagernauth