Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

I can not believe the twist in this...to push young teens to the point of suicide is egregious. This documentary is one of the few ones that netflix has put out this year that actually had a truly fascinating story. Worth the watch. Makes you want scream but it is very interesting. The excuses still don't make any sense though.

The twist at the end was quite something. The person concerned should never be allowed near another in her lifetime, so wicked and evil are their deeds.

The only problem I had was the 'first messages'. We all know who started this and yet the law and the documentary makers let her slide off the hook when it could have been proven beyond all doubt.

Well worth a watch though.

Teenager Lauryn Licari and her boyfriend Owen McKenny are high school sweethearts until a series of vile, spiteful text messages bombard the pair, causing them to split. Suspicion falls on everyone, but the investigation takes years to discover the person behind it.

It's a shocker; it's a case I followed and was aware of, so the result, although shocking, didn't surprise me as I already knew. What I wasn't aware of was the justification for the abuse. It was interesting to learn why the perpetrator did what they did. The only issue is that I'm not sure I believe it; lying came so easily for them.

Personally, I think the mental health tag is now at a point where it's being abused to some degree, I think we all have human quirks and oddities, but in this instance, the person is seriously suffering-an act of malice that's unforgivable, how could you even begin to justify it.

It's a very well put together documentary. I loved how it was presented; you really were made to wait to find out who. I came away really impressed by Khloe; what a measured and intelligent girl, so positive considering what happened to her.

8/10.

I won't give anything away, but I'm disgusted by the perpetrator. Recently, my preteen approached me and made me read and listen to messages, which really shocked me. A "good" friend of hers was with another friend, and when they had a disagreement, both girls seriously threatened my daughter via WhatsApp. According to the messages, they were going to murder her with a group. WT*? Luckily, my daughter shared this with me right away. I've been in touch with both girls, and they were more than warned by me. Their parents reacted differently. One girl was grounded. The other girl's mother told me she thought I was exaggerating and that her daughter was crying too, so they felt sorry for her. Uh, what?! I feel terrible that a 12-year-old had to go through this. I'm now reading all her social media contacts, and she understands. Talk to your teens, protect them <3.

'Unknown Number: The High School Catfish' is a wild ride from start to finish. Skye Borgman has a knack for unravelling these twisted real-life stories in a way that keeps you glued to the screen, and this one is no exception. What starts out as your typical small-town teenage drama quickly spirals into something far darker, more disturbing, and honestly, pretty unbelievable.

The most shocking part isn't just the relentless harassment, but the psychology behind it all. It's crazy what mental illness does to people, especially when it goes unchecked - and watching this unfold, you can't help but feel that she never truly grasped the gravity of what she did. Instead, what comes across is an almost chilling level of detachment, the behaviour of an absolute narcissist who couldn't (or wouldn't) comprehend the damage caused.

As a documentary, it's tight, pacey, and completely bingeable - the kind of thing you finish and immediately want to discuss with someone. But it also left me thinking how many stories like this never see the light of day. Personally, I wish Netflix would give the same treatment to the Amanda Todd case - a tragedy that deserves a thorough, sensitive documentary.

If you're into true crime that blends high school drama with the sinister realities of catfishing and cyberbullying, this one is absolutely worth your time.