At the beginning of this movie we are told that it is based on a true story. I'd like to see that story as this movie seems like the most unrealistic depiction of an Internet predator case I've ever seen. I can recall watching a 10-minute awareness movie in high school that was more true to life.
Don't get me wrong, I think that it is vital to stay informed, kids do get lured over the Internet, but the way this movie presents it is laughable.
First of all, the characters are incredibly shallow clichés. The abused girl who values herself very little and thus engages in risky behavior including drinking, doing drugs and having indiscriminate sex. Her best friend is the cardboard cut-out of the good girl, and is picked on for being so.
Both girls seem completely naive to the point where they should not be allowed to be online, let alone in chat rooms. While chatting with "Josh" they are almost oblivious to his contradictions (dog wrecked web cam/little brother wrecked web cam), his stalker-like behavior and his avoidance of showing himself on video or in person.
Even more problematic in my viewing of the film is the way the kidnapping case was portrayed. If a minor like Amy came forward with evidence like she did, her identity should be kept a secret, as should the information she shared. There are reasons why certain information is not revealed in an investigation. Also, as Amy was one of the last people who saw Megan, she should have been questioned, and the information about "Josh" should have been discovered much sooner.
Even after all of this, Amy is still chatting with "Josh" even when it becomes very apparent he is the kidnapper.
Also, in a case like this, officials should be able to track "Josh's" location via his IP address.
Also, "Josh's" profile as a criminal is very blurry. He seems to be intelligent in some cases, however, he makes some major mistakes in other cases. He is not a believable criminal, and were this movie reality, the police should have been able to track him down.
This movie was just not up to par for either being an informative video or a "scary movie." It relied solely on the hype and fixation people unfortunately have on the idea of people being dramatically kidnapped by Internet predators. Skip this one.
Don't get me wrong, I think that it is vital to stay informed, kids do get lured over the Internet, but the way this movie presents it is laughable.
First of all, the characters are incredibly shallow clichés. The abused girl who values herself very little and thus engages in risky behavior including drinking, doing drugs and having indiscriminate sex. Her best friend is the cardboard cut-out of the good girl, and is picked on for being so.
Both girls seem completely naive to the point where they should not be allowed to be online, let alone in chat rooms. While chatting with "Josh" they are almost oblivious to his contradictions (dog wrecked web cam/little brother wrecked web cam), his stalker-like behavior and his avoidance of showing himself on video or in person.
Even more problematic in my viewing of the film is the way the kidnapping case was portrayed. If a minor like Amy came forward with evidence like she did, her identity should be kept a secret, as should the information she shared. There are reasons why certain information is not revealed in an investigation. Also, as Amy was one of the last people who saw Megan, she should have been questioned, and the information about "Josh" should have been discovered much sooner.
Even after all of this, Amy is still chatting with "Josh" even when it becomes very apparent he is the kidnapper.
Also, in a case like this, officials should be able to track "Josh's" location via his IP address.
Also, "Josh's" profile as a criminal is very blurry. He seems to be intelligent in some cases, however, he makes some major mistakes in other cases. He is not a believable criminal, and were this movie reality, the police should have been able to track him down.
This movie was just not up to par for either being an informative video or a "scary movie." It relied solely on the hype and fixation people unfortunately have on the idea of people being dramatically kidnapped by Internet predators. Skip this one.