American Sweatshop

Daisy (Lili Reinhart) works for a company that reviews posts on a social media site to see if it violates the terms of service and deleting it if it does. Some of what they need to watch can be disturbing -- the employees have pools for the next one who will freak out is -- and one day, Daisy sees a video called "Nailed It" that completely freaks her out. She becomes convinced it's real and lets that obsession slowly overtake her...

"American Sweatshop" has some intriguing ideas. Reinhart is really good as a woman who doesn't have much of a future who thinks she might have found a purpose in life. The entire concept of getting a glimpse behind the "Report Post" button is interesting. But the movie makes a fatal flaw -- we never actually see the video. So we have no clue why she is so obsessed, and the movie doesn't help us out. This is not the "dark web" -- this is a Facebook-style social media company, not the dark web. The video has apparently been posted repeatedly, seen millions of times, and everyone Daisy shows it to -- co-workers, the police -- all agree that it's gross but that's about it. And yet, the film is clearly trying to hint that the tape is a real murder and that Daisy's quest is noble. So if that's the case, we need to be convinced that Daisy is in the right, and that everybody else is wrong or uncaring.

So instead of us being engaged, we're just frustrated. We're supposed to be rooting for her, but instead it's "What are you doing?" There's a germ of a good idea here, but the execution just doesn't pan out.

German director Uta Briesewitz makes her feature film debut with a dark and twisted thriller that explores social media and its fascinations.

The obsession with what we observe.

Matthew Nemeth's script immerses us in the world of social media, exploring what we accept and what we prefer to avoid. The story focuses on Daisy, played appropriately by Lili Reinhart. The protagonist's chaotic personal life is disrupted by a shocking video, which she must confront while searching for a solution. The film constantly plays with personal obsession and how we are affected by what we see or choose to ignore. It's an interesting debate that unfolds in this decent thriller, albeit one that doesn't offer any major surprises.

It's a movie that never gets going.

The film has good intentions, but never manages to rise above the surface. While it has potential, it merely criticizes social media instead of further developing its protagonist. This also affects the supporting characters, who are largely underutilized, despite having talents like Joel Fry and Daniela Melchior in the cast. The director attempts to inject more depth into a bland script that fails to achieve anything truly rewarding.

Lili Reinhart carries the weight on her shoulders.

Reinhart demonstrates her great talent by carrying the weight of the film, playing a protagonist full of complications that make the plot even more intriguing. The blonde actress guides you through her character's evolution in a captivating way. However, if you don't connect with the film, it can be difficult to accept everything surrounding her character.

Conclusion .

It's a thriller that could have been much stronger. It has interesting moments, but they fail to stand out enough in a decent film that fulfills its purpose, though not necessarily in a satisfactory way for the viewer. It addresses interesting themes and presents a rather twisted world, but its script fails to take advantage of all its strengths, resulting in an acceptable but easily forgettable film.

Last night i walked into the wrong theater and ended up watching this movie instead of the film I was there to see. It was honest mistake because this movie didn't really have an opening credit scene. So I didn't realize my mistake till about 15 mins in. But by that point I actually felt fully invested in what i was watching and just wanted to see how it all ended. And to be honest the first hour is really pretty good. It reminded me of a more indie version of "8MM". But unlike that movie this film seems to setup a lot of story that seems to go absolutely nowhere. Comically they built up to so much by the time I saw the lead actress look directly at the camera in a 4th wall breaking stare I said to myself this better not be the end of the movie?! And of course that was exactly the end of the movie. A lot of side stories with no resolution.

So if you want to see a movie that makes you feel like you just wasted an hour and forty minutes then watch this.

This is an underrated gem.

Currently this sits at 5.4. Why?

Acting is solid. Direction, solid. Story, solid. It's a real depiction of this line of work that I didn't even know was a career. A niche avenue for a story, and that's why it shines for me. It's an original concept. The thriller aspect is very much an internalised struggle within the characters.

Smart. The Director/Writer is now on my "to watch" list.

I enjoyed this flick because it did not blow the credibility of its study of the office grind with a sudden explosion of violence, Some may have found this a negative but it isn't as the lives of a person being paid just enough to survive - solely it seemed to pay rent and/or a huge student loan for a qualification that didn't gain the employment advertised on the tin, is well drawn and rendered even better by the performers.

As a mature bloke who hasn't had to subject myself to an office in 30 years, I was absorbed by the cold individualism of their working environment. We learned the gamut of circumstances which caused people to be at this contemporary sweat shop by getting to observe their varied but repetitive lives.

My experience of the grind isn't great but one thing I learned is when doing such work a healthy camaraderie among staff is essential, or was - things have changed.

Many good performances including Ms Reinhart.