After enjoying I Saw the TV Glow, I decided to check out Jane Schoenbrun’s other film, We’re All Going to the World’s Far. And while I didn’t enjoy it as much as TV Glow it’s still a solid film. It boldly embraces a sense of dysphoria in a unique coming-of-age tale that delves into psychological horror and what may or may not be real.

Casey (Anna Cobb) is a lonely teen. She’s on her own, trying to get by, and not upset her unseen father. She interacts with the world through the internet, disconnected physically from everyone.

Intrigued by horror films and and internet forums, she decides to undertake a viral phenomenon called the World’s Fair Challenge. You say, three times, I want to go to the World’s Fair three times, prick your finger and smear the blood across your computer screen while a strobe-filled video plays.

She says she will post video updates to document any changes. Her videos join a stream of videos from others doing the challenge, and the line between what is real or manufactured for the computer screen begins to blur.

When someone, JLB (Micheal J, Rogers) reaches out to her warning her she may be in trouble, he pleads with her to keep posting videos so that he knows she’s safe. He sees some strange things in her videos, and with her constant posts she talks about how she can feel the change in here, something dark.

There’s a but of a connection between the two, but as the narrative progresses trouble strikes, and you are left to wonder if Casey was just taking part in a fun creative exercise or is something darker on the verge of happening?

Cobb is honest and earnest, and is on-screen for almost the entire time. There are some truly chilling moments; the sleeping sequence, and the black light sequence specifically stand out, but the loneliness of the New Year’s Eve scene is heartbreaking, because it’s so relatable for so many people.

Casey wants to engage, safely, from behind her screen, and wants to connect, but perhaps this is the only way she can do it. Or is something more happening?

I’m looking forward to seeing what Schoenbrun does next and if they will continue their exploration into unnerving psychological horror, and what manner of tale it will be.

This one is unique, engaging, unnerving, and raises lots of questions. That is the kind of thing I enjoy!