While #Blue_Whale may seem too familiar at times, the film has a genuine feel to it, and an uncomfortable, sinister edge, which helps smooth over those “been there, done that” moments. It is a dark and creepy look into something that has roots in real life, making some images and ideas more haunting.
The bizarre and strange death of her sister leads Dana (Anna Potebnya) on a search to find out what happened. Retracing her steps, she digs into her sister’s social media history where, to her astonishment, she finds a sinister social media game that puts everyone’s lives at risk who plays… friends, family, and the individual who is playing. Dana takes up the challenge to seek answers but soon finds herself way over her head and death staring back at her at every turn.
In this feature film debut, writer-director Anna Zaytseva takes dark inspiration from real-life events that happened across Eastern Europe, possibly causing more than 130 deaths, as well as the Japanese hoax known as “Momo.” She infuses the film with the feeling of high anxiety and paranoia, felt by Dana first, then those she involves in her pursuit of the truth.
Potebnya gives a solid performance as Anna, a grief-stricken sister who only wants to know the truth and ends up in situation after situation that is beyond her control.
The online setting, live feed, and live calls are part of everyday life now, so the frantic pace and real-life imagery of familiar technology leave a lasting image of tension and fear. Zaytseva keeps the frantic pace, only slowing down to build tension as Dana goes through the grisly and dark tasks she is supposed to perform.
With a teenage daughter of my own, some of what I saw was deeply disturbing in that I realize there are predators out there, maybe not to this extreme, but bad enough to give this parent anxiety as well.
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One issue #Blue_Whale runs up against is being far too similar to previously released films. I saw flashes of Sinister, Saw, The Ring, not to mention other online death game movies that, while not as effective, had the same themes. It caused problems in that the tension, drama, and chaos that was built up came crashing to a halt when I felt like I just walked onto the set of another horror movie franchise. It’s a shame, as there are some good moments here, a couple of which took me by surprise.
#Blue_Whale was genuinely suspenseful and frantic, often evoking anxiety. While the familiarity did make some moments come to a halt, it was still effective in bringing about real feelings of unease and terror.
#Blue_Whale recently had its premiere at Fantasia Film Fest 2021.
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