Share

"Share?" is a Drama - Thriller movie that delves into the complexities of modern relationships and the consequences of choices in the age of social media. The plot follows a young woman grappling with the aftermath of an intimate video of her being shared online, and the emotional turmoil it creates in her personal and social life.

While I appreciate the film's attempt to address a relevant and thought-provoking topic, the execution left much to be desired. The premise, focusing on the impact of privacy invasion and the pressures of public judgment, has potential but felt somewhat underdeveloped. The pacing was uneven, with moments that dragged on too long, leading to a loss of tension during key scenes. The performances, especially from the lead actress, were serviceable but didn't evoke the emotional depth that such a sensitive topic warrants. While the protagonist's struggles were relatable, I found it difficult to connect with her character on a deeper level. The supporting characters, on the other hand, felt one-dimensional and lacked the nuance needed to elevate the story.

One of the movie's strengths is its exploration of the digital age's darker side, but the narrative often felt like it was skimming the surface of deeper issues, leaving me wanting more substance. In terms of directing and cinematography, while the visuals were competent, they didn't add much to the overall impact of the story. Ultimately, "Share?" offers an intriguing premise but fails to deliver a compelling or thought-provoking narrative, leaving me with more questions than answers. It's a movie that might spark some interesting conversation, but overall, it didn't live up to its potential.

I was doing my daily ritual: taking 10-20 minutes scrolling through movie channels, adding things to watch later (and usually spending more time doing that than actually watching movies; I'll never, ever catch up to my list), and "Share?" popped up again. Today was finally the day I would give it a chance, and I was most pleased that I did. Thought-provoking, but not heavy handed, short, but not slight, and something I'll recommend to a wide swath of people. Might have to watch it again, and maybe very soon. (The last movie I wanted to see again almost immediately was "Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes".)

Did you know that social media fosters toxic relationships among its users, who only gain clout and/or material gains by performing inanely for each other? In this fundamentally unbalanced type of community network, individuals are complicit for as long as they allow themselves to be seduced by the illusion of power-wow! That's the sort of asked and answered wisdom at the heart of "Share?," an ungenerous techno-satire about an unnamed man who wakes up in an unfurnished cell with only a computer monitor for company.

There's a little more to this sketchy sci-fi parable, all about a wary cipher, #000000014 (Melvin Gregg), who learns how to not only survive, but maybe even game his prison's live-streaming camera network, which connects imprisoned users through their respective computer monitors. But only a little. "Share?" ostensibly has a dark sense of humor, too, yet even its jokes point a lazy finger at viewers.

"Share?" is only 70+ minutes long, and it shows. We see the movie's world through the unblinking eye of #000000014's computer monitor, the one he also uses to broadcast a live video stream from inside his grey brutalist cell. Why is he there, and who's keeping him? That's an irrelevant mystery, according to co-writer/director Ira Rosensweig and co-writer Benjamin Sutor. Rather, we're supposed to focus on the patternmaking logic that leads #000000014 to figure out how to get attention from unseen viewers and earn points that he can convert into amenities, like food, clothes, or an inflatable mattress. #000000014 spends a lot of time peering into and through the camera frame since it's presented as a monitor. His computer seems pretty basic, given frequent prompts like "Share?" and "Good food?" It's almost as if social media and technology only grant its users' limited agency, maaan.

Think of being in a form of full immersive whole body facetime in a single windowless room with no way out, you arrive with no knowledge of how you got there or why, Everything you do is voluntarily "shared" to get "likes" to recieve benefits to either "buy" stuff to make your room better equipped, or to get better foods and drinks as well as clothing. Every "player" starts the same in thier basic underwear with nothing else and they must figure out how to use the interface to find others and get the perks, or find a way out. There are "glitches" which when used can wreak havok or sooth, but to use one, you take a chance as to it's actual beneit or terror. There is a punishment for non-compliance as well which can be deadly. Looks very much like what a tyrannical global government would do to keep the people under control, monitored and eliminate undesireables at the same time and it could all be run by AI. Quite terrifying if you think it out...Nothing questionable, partial nudity, some foul language and some graphic terror. Enjoy!

...for social media. I feel like I'm using this expression more and more lately but it's a mile wide and an inch deep. I'm so sick of movies that attempt be deep, and mysterious with complex metaphors, but end up just being pretentious and insultingly simple. When writers and directors don't trust their audience to read deeper into meanings and feel like they have to spell it all out, it really tests my ability to not roll my eyes throughout the entire movie. I gave it four stars because, while I had it figured out literally five minutes in, it was still mildly entertaining. I hope the makers of this film didn't cut themselves on the edge.