The Antisocial Network

Plot

A group of lonely teenagers formed an online community and bonded over their isolation, but their collective beliefs warped reality.

Cast

Sadly those interviewed are for the most part far from decent human beings.

Verdict

Just to confuse myself this was the second documentary of its sort within a very short period of time, the other also featured hacking and anonymous. This however was the superior piece by far and was an entertaining though damning subject matter that unfortunately I'd experienced the consequences of first hand.

It looks at the history of 4chan which though I'm very aware of, didn't know some of the eccentricities and found them very interesting. It shows the snowball effect of online extremism and how badly even simple "Mean words" can escalate.

The trouble is the people interviewed are not good folks, they glamorize hacking, they defend trolling, most appreciate by the end that their behavior was foolhardy and escalated granted but it changes nothing.

The anti-social network is very well made, devastating subject matter and entirely fascinating.

Rants

I see word within the reviews as usual spouting agenda/propaganda, those words have lost all meaning. It's not attacking one political side, it's examining one subject and it just happens to be one side that's responsible for all the consequences and side effects.

You see I mentioned I'd experienced this first hand, my ex was a rational decent human being then she came across the online hive of hate, right wing extremism and conspiracies and over the course of two years she changed in ways I didn't even think was possible. She became racist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-immigrant, anti-benefits claimant, a seething ball of hate against every minority. She grabbed hold of every conspiracy going, flat earth, chemtrails, the LGBT agenda and planet X (She loved that one). She lost her mind, and funnily enough yes she become a Trump fan. The internet has a great power to change people, and make them completely unconditionally lose the plot and that leads to further unpleasantness and spreads like a plague.

The Good

Very well made Stylish Insightful

The Bad

Those interviewed as wretches Pure rage fuel.

Directors Arthur Jones and Giorgio Angelini take us on a chilling journey in "The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem," a documentary exploring the dark underbelly of online culture and its unintended consequences.

The film tackles a highly relevant issue, tracing the evolution of memes from silly jokes to tools for manipulation and the erosion of truth. Millennial interviewees, once active participants, offer a unique perspective on how their online actions spiraled out of control. The documentary masterfully weaves early internet memes with news clips and social media posts, creating a vivid timeline of events.

While focusing on the rise of 4chan, the film could delve deeper into the broader impact of other anonymous platforms. Some interviewees seem to romanticize the early days of the internet, neglecting the inherent toxicity that always existed.

Editing is sharp, seamlessly transitioning between interviews, memes, and news footage. The score is subtle yet effective, adding tension without being overly dramatic. The interviewers guide the narrative effectively, drawing insightful commentary from participants.

"The Antisocial Network" is a must-watch for anyone interested in the internet's influence on society. Despite some limitations, the film serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility we hold online and the potential for memes to morph into real-world mayhem.

Finally someone took the time to address this more or less properly.

So... Is it perfect? No.

But at least it tries to tackle the absurdity of the times we live in.

Going much further than other documentaries or books in unveiling some of the people that spawned the whole toxic internet trend - albeit leaving aside the vast influence of a certain current belligerent super power - it gives a simple, but credible, history lesson on why we are in the current political situation.

And no, I'm absolutely not talking just about the USA.

What happened there is ground zero for other 'experiences' that are starting to materialize in other countries (they even mention what happened in early 2000's with 2Chan) and that continue to occur in our age of misinformation.

The simple fact that some people are so desperate (and plainly stupid) as to be able to believe these pranksters should be enough to make us stop and meditate about what being online really means.

Just one more thing: this is a documentary and my rating is not based on the formal quality of the film.

This is a presentation of part of an important story.

A story that should be dissected and investigated much, much further. That said, as first efforts go this is a 5 in terms of usefulness and overall importance.

Informative and enlightening documentation!

For people like me, who have only been able to delve deeper into the world of the Internet after a long period of family responsibilities, documentaries of this kind are helpful in understanding what has actually happened over the past two decades. The effects of the developments described in the film are visible to everyone in everyday and professional life. I didn't really like the excessive rush of images, but I admit that it fits the protagonists and their actions quite well.

The global streaming service NETFLIX certainly does educational work with such films. We should also remember the documentary about the CYBERBUNKER in the small German town of Traben-Trabach.

The question remains what to do now with the knowledge gained. The troll armies around the world remain active and have long been taking care of the next generation.

I found this documentary interesting. I was never into 4chan myself, but I remember when it started and got big and I had a few friends who used to be there. I learned a lot in this documentary. For example, I didn't know that Anonymous originated in 2003 on 4chan. I learned more about January 6th with the attack on Capitol, the evolution of memes, Qanon, maga, etc.

It was also interesting to see these hackers being interviewed. They are not very likeable people most of them. It is also so very crazy that people are so easily fooled by what they read on the internet and that they believe it fully. Someone says something on the internet, and it can turn into a very large real movement/demonstration. It's crazy how stupid people are, but also very interesting.