The Indie Horror Film 'We're All Going to the World's Fair' and a Painful Coming of Age in a Digital World

With director Jane Schoenbrun's latest work arriving in theaters, it seems the right time to return to their first film, which marked the beginning of a distinctive career in independent horror cinema: 'We're All Going to the World's Fair.' This film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021, offers a cinematic experience entirely different from the usual horror molds, blending an atmosphere of psychological anxiety with the painful coming-of-age story of a teenage girl living in isolation within a world intensely connected to the internet.

The Story of a Lonely Girl Facing a Mysterious Challenge

The film's events revolve around its protagonist, 'Casey,' whom we come to know from the very first moments as she undertakes what is known as the 'World's Fair Challenge.' This challenge is akin to a blend of alternate reality games (ARG) and terrifying internet legends (creepypasta) on one hand, and the viral challenge campaigns spreading across platforms on the other. The challenge begins by repeating a strange phrase, then some blood, and a mysterious video, in a rapid intensification of the most prominent hallmarks of horror films.

But what makes the scene truly disturbing is not these elements in themselves, but rather their presentation through a small, lonely girl in her room, staring directly into the computer camera the entire time. The scene in which she repeatedly pricks her skin with a needle to draw blood leaves a real physical impact on the viewer.

A Mysterious Game of Transformation

The idea of the challenge is based on participants performing a certain ritual, after which they begin to change in mysterious and undefined ways. The matter is framed as a 'game' in which participants are supposed to document the symptoms that appear on them, from their bodies turning into plastic, to their insides transforming into strange geometric shapes. This deliberate ambiguity remains present throughout the film without any clear explanation.

A Search for Belonging, Not Just Horror

At its core, the film does not offer a traditional horror story so much as it tells the coming-of-age tale of a lonely girl who lacks any genuine human connection. We never see her talking with her peers, and her father never appears on screen; rather, we hear only his voice shouting without any real presence. 'Casey' desperately tries to connect with others by uploading video clips documenting the changes she claims to be undergoing after performing the challenge.

Herein lies the film's significance; it moves entirely away from what many coming-of-age films do in focusing on the sexual awakening of adolescents, and avoids any exploitation of the protagonist's image. Instead, it focuses on her deep search for belonging within a hyperconnected digital world that is, nonetheless, devoid of human warmth.

A Troubling Relationship

The only other character who receives any notable space in the film is 'JLB,' a middle-aged man who himself suffers from loneliness and claims that 'Casey' is in danger. The relationship between them adds an extra layer of tension to a work that already combines horror elements with disturbing, intimate glimpses into the life of a young girl. There is a sense of voyeurism that hangs over the entire film. And although it is not stated directly, what appears suggests that 'JLB' is trying to groom and manipulate the fragile girl.

Deliberate Ambiguity That Gives the Film Its Strength

The film settles into its disquieting ambiguity and does not seek to resolve it, and this in itself is part of its distinctiveness. The film may not reach the levels of surrealism or strangeness attained by the director's later works, but it remains a rare model of authentic independent cinema that employs 'body horror' tools in new and intriguing ways.

The film can be watched via several streaming platforms such as Criterion Channel, Kanopy, and Hoopla, for those seeking a different cinematic experience that transcends the traditional molds of horror.

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