WIRED WORLD
Human drama looks at the fissures that arise out of constant connectivity
D IRECTOR Henry Alex Rubin and writer Andrew Stern have created an unusual thriller about a time, not so long ago, when people wrote letters on their computers and talked to each other on their telephones. Then the internet happened and instant connectivity changed everything.
The internet is a great and useful tool but with it comes a tidal wave of drivel, abuse and sexual content, which is what the core of this powerful thriller is all about.
Disconnect shows how the internet became a powerful tool in our professional and financial dealings. But, before long, the hackers became a serious threat. They could steal all your personal details and reveal your habits and secrets, and even render you bankrupt.
The film follows three plot lines, all concerning connectivity. It starts with an ambitious news reporter Nina (Andrea Riseborough), who interviews a male prostitute Kyle (Max Theriot), who works in an internet chat room.
He flirts with and teases her, not realising that his face will be on the front page of Nina’s newspaper. Her frantic attempt to boost her career is actually destroying Kyle’s life. Not only will this harm Kyle, but her reputation as a journalist could also be ruined.
The next story strand is deliberately malicious and it plays out in a high school, where Ben (Jonah Bobo) is a highly intelligent student but achingly shy.
He is the target of a trio of spiteful boys and their girlfriends, who create a website that leads Ben to believe he has made a genuinely good internet friend, with disastrous consequences.
The third story features Cindy (Paula Patton) and Derek (Alexander Skarsgård). They have recently lost a child, which weighs on them so deeply that they cannot find any comfort or support from each other.
To make matters even worse, they discover that their identities have been stolen from the internet and the hacker has cleared out all the money from their bank accounts. In a desperate move, they try to track down the thief and are prepared to kill him if they have to.
Those three plotlines weave in and out of these people’s lives and the message is ironic. The internet can be immensely helpful but it also delivers toxic trash.
The film is complex but lucid and there’s not a false note in the plot or in the performances. It’s worth noting that Rubin is a first-time feature director, but his handling of this convoluted, fascinating theme suggests that he has a great career ahead of him.