We're All Going to the World's Fair (2021) YTS

Ever since I watched Jane Schoenbrun's second film, I Saw the TV Glow, which I absolutely adored and became one of my favorite films ever, I've really been meaning to watch this film. Though I didn't expect all too much from this very quiet and independent film, it blew my expectations way out of the park and shot them all the way to a better park. We're All Going to the World's Fair was a surprisingly riveting and horrifying ambient film. Schoenbrun's filmmaking is surprisingly skilled for a newcomer. They always new exactly the right shot, exactly the right camera movements, and exactly the right cut to keep everything terrifying. And this film is terrifying. The perfectly slug-like pace builds an impressive amount of dread, and it kept me scared throughout literally any time something happened in a shot. The dancing scene may have been one of the most horrifying things I've ever seen. Also, growing up as a teenage guy in this era, I can say firsthand that this is probably the most accurate depiction of growing up in the modern day. The two leads were both incredible and Alex G's score was another highlight. But where Schoenbrun's genius shines through is that there's this sense of hope and appreciation for the suburban life it depicts underneath it all. Schoenbrun can see that beauty in the mundane, the color in our life that keeps us going along. To put it simply, We're All Going to the World's Fair is what all independent films are trying to be. It's terrifying in its simplicity, while also containing deep and interesting themes about isolation and growing up, and yet is also a fully accurate depiction of being a teenager in the modern day. I am lucky to be living in the same time as one of the best image composers and abstract storytellers ever, who has the potential to be one of the filmmaking greats. I'm looking forward to whatever they put out next.