Catfish (2010) is a real life documentary in which the very popular MTV reality TV show 'Catfish' is based off of. Unlike the reality TV show everything shown in this documentary is real and in no way staged, everything shown in the film is genuine. This film was created way before the TV show was even created and this film is actually the inspiration behind the TV show.
This film not only features but is created by MTV's own Nev Shulman. The film is completely homemade and you can definitely tell just by watching. Although, this does not take away from the documentary in any way as the film still feels like a very well made documentary and the story is easy to follow and understand. There are often cutaway transitions showing pictures, messages accompanied by music. This is not only very reminiscent of the MTV show but it also serves to give more context and information but also set the mood throughout the film. Each scene is meaningful to not only the story being told but how bizarre the entire documentary is. This all makes the film very watchable and enjoyable despite the homemade footage and feeling.
'Catfish' follows Nev Shulman in a peculiar love story of sorts but takes a new modern twist on it. This film made a huge impact back in 2010 when released and while looking back at it as a viewer of both the show and movie you can clearly tell why. The concept of a catfish did not have an official name or definition before this film, this film actually invented the term 'catfish' in what I believe to be one of the best scenes in the movie. Other than that the documentary is incredibly interesting and downright bizarre. This film is also able to build tons of suspense for a homemade documentary. The climax of the film occurs when the masters behind the fake facebook family and Nev's love interest is revealed. The result is not something anyone expects but the dialog and analysis is what really makes the film. This documentary isn't just for entertainment or shock value, it somehow forces the viewer to take back something more meaningful. Crying and downright emotional scenes are plentiful by the end of the movie and although, sometimes it is hard to watch with the lack of music it does serve a very clear purpose. Simplistic somber music plays occasionally after each emotional scene which exaggerates the emotion. This film not only completely creates the definition of what a Catfish is (which was completely unheard of in 2010) it also exposes the mind of someone who catfishes online.
One of the films final scenes is particularly outstanding where the Catfish's husband explains the meaning behind his definition of a catfish. Even though this movie is a homemade documentary some of the husbands words can be taken as a theme behind the film. He compares people who pretend to be someone else online to catfish since they are often mixed with cod when transporting overseas to keep the cod fish agile, he states that internet catfish keep life interesting and keeps other people on their toes.
Surprising emotional, entertaining, and transformative are just some of the words to describe this film. Although, it doesn't come without it's flaws. 'Catfish' has not aged well and even though it is a great film to watch in 2010 the same cannot be said for the current time. The internet and media has changed dramatically and now in 2019 the movie does not have the same effect or shock value. That is of course not the films fault but it is something to take into consideration. In conclusion, the documentary 'Catfish' is very well made and worth the watch for what it is but over time the film has lost most of the spark it had with time but that doesn't mean if you should not watch it. This film may not be for everyone though.
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