Sundance 2021: We’re All Going To The World’s Fair Review

Anna Cobb appears in We’re All Going to the World’s Fair by Jane Schoenbrun, an official selection of the NEXT section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Daniel Patrick Carbone.All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or 'Courtesy of Sundance Institute.' Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

When it comes to film, sometimes less is more but some perhaps take that line a little too literally. In order for a film to truly succeed, there still has to be enough there. This point is sure to a point of contention as far as We’re All Going To The World’s Fair is concerned. The film may be a simple one but whether or not the film succeeds depends on the viewer’s ability to connect with the story on a deeper emotional level which will surely not happen with everyone as it will certainly not make it easy. With a running time of just under 90 minutes, the film will feel like longer as viewers will be left waiting for something to happen but very little arguably does. Despite a promising premise, the film fails to do enough interesting things with it. Nevertheless, the film is propped up by a strong lead performance from Anna Cobb in her feature-length film debut.

We’re All Going To The World’s Fair tells the story of a teenager with a troubled past named Casey (Cobb) who became consumed by an infamous online horror role-playing game with potential side effects for whoever opted for the challenge. With a treasure trove of documented experiences ranging from the downright bizarre to the deadly, Casey added to that trove by documenting her own experiences post opting in for the challenge. The story saw essentially saw her fall into a rabbit hole over the course of her downward spiral into madness as a result of the game. The problem with that was how overwhelmingly dull and one-note it was for the most part. While Cobb definitely gives it her all, it was just hard to care about Casey which pretty much makes anything else not matter.

In the end, We’re All Going To The World’s Fair may very well end up a cult film that may very well work for some viewers but be warned.

still courtesy of Sundance


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By Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.

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