We're All Going to the World's Fair is an intimate coming-of-age horror film 《我們都將前往世界博覽會》是一部親密的成長恐怖電影

TL;DR

• Review of Jane Schoenbrun's 2021 film We're All Going to the World's Fair, framed alongside their newer release Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
• The film centers on Casey, a lonely teenage girl participating in an online ARG/horror ritual called the "World's Fair Challenge"
• Unlike typical coming-of-age stories, the film avoids sexualizing its young protagonist and instead explores her search for belonging in an extremely online world
• The character JLB introduces a disturbing undercurrent of potential grooming, adding voyeuristic unease to the narrative
• The film is praised for its uncomfortable ambiguity and innovative use of body horror tropes

Why It Matters

This review highlights how independent cinema is increasingly engaging with internet culture, online communities, and digital-age loneliness as central thematic concerns. For creators and researchers studying online subcultures, the film serves as a cultural artifact reflecting real phenomena like ARGs, creepypasta, and the psychological dynamics of vulnerable users in online spaces.

Technical Details

• The "World's Fair Challenge" depicted in the film mirrors real online ritualistic challenges, blending creepypasta aesthetics with participatory internet culture
• The film's visual approach relies heavily on webcam intimacy, with the protagonist staring directly into the camera, creating a documentary-like voyeuristic effect
• Body horror elements (turning into plastic, becoming Tetris pieces) are used metaphorically to represent identity dissolution and the search for transformation
• The film is available on Criterion Channel, Kanopy, and Hoopla

Industry Insight

• The intersection of horror and online culture continues to be a fertile ground for indie filmmakers, suggesting opportunities for content creators to explore digital-age anxieties through genre filmmaking
• The film's avoidance of sexualizing its young protagonist while dealing with themes of vulnerability signals a shifting cultural standard in how online predation and loneliness are portrayed in media
• Streaming platforms like Criterion Channel and Kanopy are becoming important distribution channels for original indie cinema, expanding access beyond traditional theatrical releases

TL;DR

• 导演Jane Schoenbrun的处女作《We're All Going to the World's Fair》以"World's Fair Challenge"ARG creepypasta为核心设定，讲述孤独少女Casey的成人成长故事
• 影片创新性地使用身体恐怖元素探讨网络时代青少年的归属感缺失，而非传统的性觉醒主题
• 角色JLB与Casey之间暧昧危险的关系增添了影片的窥视感和不安氛围
• 影片采用第一人称webcam视角拍摄，营造出强烈的亲密感和沉浸体验
• 影片在Criterion Channel、Kanopy和Hoopla平台可观看

为什么值得看

这部电影为独立电影创作者提供了将网络亚文化、ARG游戏机制与身体恐怖类型融合的范例，展示了如何用新颖的叙事手法探讨当代青少年的孤独与身份认同问题。

技术解析

影片采用webcam第一人称视角拍摄，主角Casey全程直视镜头，营造出强烈的亲密感和窥视感，这种技术选择强化了观众与主角之间的心理连接。

导演将"World's Fair Challenge"这一虚构的网络挑战设定为ARG creepypasta与冰桶挑战的结合体，包含神秘咒语、放血仪式和变形症状报告等元素，创造出独特的叙事框架。

影片在类型融合上实现突破：将身体恐怖（身体变成塑料、内脏变成俄罗斯方块）与青少年成长故事结合，避免了传统成长片的性觉醒叙事，转而聚焦于网络时代青少年的归属感缺失。

行业启示

网络亚文化（ARG、creepypasta）正在成为独立电影创作的重要灵感来源，为类型片注入新的叙事可能性和受众基础。

身体恐怖作为一种表达内心创伤和身份焦虑的媒介，正在被新一代创作者重新定义，从单纯的视觉刺激转向心理层面的深度探索。

当代青少年题材创作正在摆脱传统框架，转向更复杂、更贴近数字原住民真实体验的叙事方向，这为内容创作者提供了新的市场切入点。