Ingrid Thorburn doesn't have any friends and is obsessed with Instagram after her mother's death being left a lot of money she moves to LA and manages to become friends with a woman she is obsessed with.
The film starts with probably the way most people's days start looking at your phone and going through the different social media accounts you have. This film is very much Instagram and that is what Ingrid is checking and liking a lot of photos! Photos of a wedding someone called Charlotte. I will admit that the film did not start in the way I expected but it certainly sets the tone of how much Ingrid needs help, as she storms the wedding yet we find out she did not actually really know Charlotte, she liked one of her photos or commented on it once!
It isn't long until Ingrid finds her next "friend" in Taylor Sloane and even moves to LA in an attempt to become her real friend. I think this film was difficult to watch at time as we all use social media, but it is also important to remember just because you see photos and posts on social media from someone you don't really know much about them. Especially Instagram where the photos always look happy and are pretty much a fake life in terms that it isn't always like that for the person posting.
Then enter a character like Ingrid who believes that these people are her friends and her life and that is going to create some very bad situations. I am sure loads of people have unfortunately experienced a form of stalking because of the increase in social media and smart phones that you constantly have in your hand. I guess it is easier to become obsessed with someone you don't actually know.
The thing is though the film does give us some at least one nice character as well in Dan who rents Ingrid the house to live and in and he really does seem so genuine. Raising a lot of questions throughout I mean is Taylor even a nice person? At times she seems to be but again to keep her social media presence. The introduction of her brother Nicky and the jealously Ingrid feels was always going to be the downfall.
I cannot really say that I enjoyed this film as it really was uncomfortable to watch from start to finish, but interesting in thinking about phones and social media, in all honesty when I left the cinema screening I didn't actually want to look at my phone! I do hope films like this will make people remember that what you see is not always what you will get. I was quite surprised to see this film listed as a comedy as I really didn't find many things funny about it, it was all rather sad and low because that was how Ingrid felt and that was how watching it makes you feel as a viewer.
A very thought provoking film that will make you think about how you use and view social media from now on!
