Jane Schoenbrun's 'World's Fair': A Deep Dive into Digital Coming-of-Age Horror

In an era increasingly shaped by digital interactions and the often-unseen facets of online life, few filmmakers have captured its inherent anxieties and peculiar intimacy quite like Jane Schoenbrun. With her recent works, such as Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and the critically acclaimed I Saw the TV Glow, making waves, it’s an opportune moment to revisit the film that introduced her distinctive vision: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. This 2021 debut feature offers a compelling, unsettling look at a young person's search for identity and belonging within the disorienting landscape of the internet, skillfully blending horror elements with a profound character study that resonates deeply with modern audiences.

Quick summary

• We’re All Going to the World’s Fair marks Jane Schoenbrun's directorial debut, first screened at Sundance in 2021.
• The film explores a lonely teenager's immersion in an ambiguous online role-playing horror game known as the 'World's Fair Challenge'.
• It delves into themes of isolation, identity formation in digital spaces, and the unsettling boundaries between virtual and real-world vulnerability.
• The narrative deliberately maintains ambiguity, portraying implied online grooming and the psychological impact of digital communities without resorting to explicit horror tropes.

Why it matters

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair holds significant relevance in contemporary discourse surrounding digital citizenship, youth mental health, and the evolving nature of horror cinema. For parents and educators, the film serves as a poignant, albeit disquieting, mirror to the often-unmonitored online lives of adolescents, highlighting the allure of internet subcultures and the potential for emotional exploitation. For digital natives, it offers a reflection of their own experiences with online identity, community, and the pervasive sense of hyper-reality that defines the modern internet. Culturally, it contributes to a growing body of work that deconstructs the traditional horror genre, moving beyond jump scares to explore the more insidious, psychological terrors of connection and isolation in the digital age. Its themes resonate with broader societal concerns about loneliness in an interconnected world and the search for authentic selfhood amidst pervasive online personas.

Background

The genesis of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair can be traced to a burgeoning wave of independent cinema that began to grapple with the internet's profound impact on human psychology and social structures. Jane Schoenbrun emerged onto the film festival circuit at a time when 'internet horror' was still largely defined by found-footage films or conventional narratives about digital dangers. However, Schoenbrun's approach, first showcased at Sundance in 2021, distinguished itself by prioritizing atmosphere and character study over overt scares, offering a more nuanced exploration of online existence. Before this film, internet-centric narratives often focused on immediate, tangible threats, but World’s Fair shifted the lens to the internal transformations and psychological ambiguities fostered by digital anonymity and shared delusions. This paved the way for Schoenbrun's subsequent films, I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which continue to explore themes of identity, media consumption, and the blurring lines between reality and fiction, solidifying her reputation as a singular voice exploring the intersection of technology and human vulnerability.

Qnews24h insight

Jane Schoenbrun's distinct approach in We’re All Going to the World’s Fair lies in her rejection of conventional horror's reliance on external threats, instead crafting a narrative that externalizes the internal anxieties of online life. The film's 'World's Fair Challenge' ritual, with its vague symptoms and body horror elements like turning into plastic or guts becoming 'Tetris pieces,' functions not as a literal curse, but as a metaphor for the psychological fragmentation and identity dissolution experienced in digital spaces. By deliberately avoiding explicit sexualization of its young protagonist, Casey, and focusing instead on her quest for belonging, Schoenbrun offers a critical commentary on how internet communities, while promising connection, can simultaneously foster deeper isolation and vulnerability. The unsettling dynamic with JLB further underscores the ambiguous moral landscapes of online interactions, where empathy can morph into predation. This cinematic choice provides a more profound, disquieting exploration of digital alienation than typical genre fare, positioning the film as a vital document of contemporary internet culture.

The Digital Labyrinth: Casey's Search for Belonging

At the heart of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is Casey, a solitary teenager adrift in a world where online presence often substitutes for genuine connection. Her foray into the titular 'World's Fair Challenge,' an internet urban legend game involving a self-administered ritual, becomes her desperate attempt to find meaning or transformation. The film meticulously documents her experiences, primarily through webcam footage, as she chronicles her supposed 'symptoms'—the ambiguous changes to her body or psyche that participants are meant to report. These segments are deliberately unsettling, blurring the lines between genuine psychological distress, performance art, and the self-fulfilling prophecies of online subcultures. It's a poignant portrayal of a generation grappling with identity formation in front of an unseen, anonymous audience, where validation is sought in the echo chambers of niche online communities.

Ambiguity and the Unseen Threat

Unlike many horror films that build to a definitive reveal or a monstrous antagonist, Schoenbrun’s debut thrives on its pervasive ambiguity. The changes Casey experiences are never definitively confirmed as real or imagined, leaving viewers to question the nature of the 'World's Fair Challenge.' Is it a genuine supernatural phenomenon, a mass delusion, or a complex performance art piece gone awry? This deliberate narrative choice enhances the film’s voyeuristic quality, drawing the audience into Casey's vulnerable state and the uncertain reality she inhabits. The unsettling tension stems not from what is explicitly shown, but from what is implied, allowing the psychological horror to fester in the viewer's mind.

The Shadow of Connection: JLB and the Ethics of Online Interaction

Adding another layer of unease to Casey’s isolated journey is JLB, an older, equally lonely man who connects with her online, claiming to understand her experience and perceive a danger she might be in. This relationship is a critical component of the film's thematic exploration of online vulnerability. While never explicitly stated, the dynamic between JLB and Casey strongly suggests an attempt at grooming, highlighting the precariousness of anonymous online interactions. Schoenbrun masterfully handles this delicate subject, using implication and discomfort rather than overt depiction, making the implied threat far more chilling. The film thus becomes a commentary on the dark underbelly of online 'community,' where genuine connection can be twisted into something predatory, and where isolation can make one susceptible to dangerous influences.

A New Vision for Body Horror and Digital Identity

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair redefines body horror, not through grotesque gore, but through the psychological fragmentation and disassociation induced by digital immersion. The fantastical 'symptoms' reported by participants—such as transforming into plastic or having internal organs become Tetris pieces—serve as potent metaphors for the loss of self, the commodification of identity, and the blurring of boundaries between the physical body and its digital representation. This innovative use of genre tropes sets it apart from more conventional horror films and even Schoenbrun's subsequent works, which lean into more surreal or campy aesthetics. World’s Fair remains grounded in a stark, intimate realism, making its digital anxieties feel all the more palpable and unsettling.

Access and Impact: Streaming an Indie Original

The film's availability on streaming platforms like Criterion Channel, Kanopy, and Hoopla ensures its accessibility to a wide audience, allowing more viewers to engage with its unique blend of coming-of-age drama and subtle horror. This broad reach is crucial for an independent film that challenges genre conventions and addresses timely social issues. Its presence on these platforms underscores its critical acclaim and its significance in the evolving landscape of digital storytelling, cementing its place as an essential watch for those interested in the future of horror and the nuanced exploration of internet culture.

Sources

• theverge.com

FAQ

What is 'We’re All Going to the World’s Fair' about?

'We’re All Going to the World’s Fair' is a horror film about a lonely teenage girl named Casey who becomes immersed in an online role-playing game called the 'World's Fair Challenge,' where participants report ambiguous physical and psychological changes after performing a ritual. The film explores themes of online identity, isolation, and potential grooming in digital spaces.

Who directed 'We’re All Going to the World’s Fair'?

The film was directed by Jane Schoenbrun, a filmmaker known for her unique approach to horror and her exploration of digital culture and identity in films like 'I Saw the TV Glow' and 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.'

What makes 'We’re All Going to the World’s Fair' a unique horror film?

The film is unique for its intimate, ambiguous approach to horror. It avoids traditional jump scares and explicit gore, instead focusing on psychological unease, the blurring lines between online performance and reality, and the subtle, implied dangers of internet interactions, particularly concerning youth vulnerability and identity formation. Its body horror elements are metaphorical, reflecting digital disassociation rather than physical violence.

Where can 'We’re All Going to the World’s Fair' be streamed?

As of its review and broader release, 'We’re All Going to the World’s Fair' is available to stream on platforms such as Criterion Channel, Kanopy, and Hoopla, making it accessible to a wide audience.