20 reviews
Directors Arthur Jones and Giorgio Angelini take us on a chilling journey in "The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem," a documentary exploring the dark underbelly of online culture and its unintended consequences.
The film tackles a highly relevant issue, tracing the evolution of memes from silly jokes to tools for manipulation and the erosion of truth. Millennial interviewees, once active participants, offer a unique perspective on how their online actions spiraled out of control. The documentary masterfully weaves early internet memes with news clips and social media posts, creating a vivid timeline of events.
While focusing on the rise of 4chan, the film could delve deeper into the broader impact of other anonymous platforms. Some interviewees seem to romanticize the early days of the internet, neglecting the inherent toxicity that always existed.
Editing is sharp, seamlessly transitioning between interviews, memes, and news footage. The score is subtle yet effective, adding tension without being overly dramatic. The interviewers guide the narrative effectively, drawing insightful commentary from participants.
"The Antisocial Network" is a must-watch for anyone interested in the internet's influence on society. Despite some limitations, the film serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility we hold online and the potential for memes to morph into real-world mayhem.
The film tackles a highly relevant issue, tracing the evolution of memes from silly jokes to tools for manipulation and the erosion of truth. Millennial interviewees, once active participants, offer a unique perspective on how their online actions spiraled out of control. The documentary masterfully weaves early internet memes with news clips and social media posts, creating a vivid timeline of events.
While focusing on the rise of 4chan, the film could delve deeper into the broader impact of other anonymous platforms. Some interviewees seem to romanticize the early days of the internet, neglecting the inherent toxicity that always existed.
Editing is sharp, seamlessly transitioning between interviews, memes, and news footage. The score is subtle yet effective, adding tension without being overly dramatic. The interviewers guide the narrative effectively, drawing insightful commentary from participants.
"The Antisocial Network" is a must-watch for anyone interested in the internet's influence on society. Despite some limitations, the film serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility we hold online and the potential for memes to morph into real-world mayhem.
- SonGoku540
- Apr 7, 2024
- Permalink
But it managed to be educational and present its thesis quite well. The thesis is that the infamous 4chan led to such social movements as OccupyWallstreet, Anonymous, Gamergate, and the rise of Donald Trump and finally, to January 6th. It showed how these groups morphed together and separated. It shows very clearly how the alt-right latched onto meme culture and tried to hijack the political discourse. I was never on 4chan, but remember seeing their productions out in the wild. It's a cautionary tale about two things, the first about how just because you create something, that does not mean you can control it as the creator of 4chan discovered, and the second is never to underestimate the stupidity of the masses. They will beieve anything as long as its in a visual form with some white text.
- atleverton
- Apr 27, 2024
- Permalink
The internet's influence on culture, politics and media is ubiquitous. But who influences the internet? This documentary answers that question - or starts to - by focusing on the rise of 4chan, the anonymous imageboard website that served as a surrogate online community for grassroots activists and agitators on both the left and right. This documentary exposes (perhaps unintentionally) the harrowing fact that the 4chan community was full of the most wretched, hateful and inadequate people you're ever likely to encounter. If you met any of this documentary's interviewees in person you would dismiss them as pathetic crackpots or worse and you would promptly ignore them. But ensconced in the anonymity of a signal-boosting online echo chamber they were able to exercise a grossly outsized influence on the 2010s. The internet (supposedly a means of democratizing discourse by giving a globe-spanning voice to virtually anyone) has actually given the loudest and most prominent voices to cabals of unaccountable weirdos who spend all their time on the internet.
- johnspringer-95440
- Apr 16, 2024
- Permalink
I found this documentary interesting. I was never into 4chan myself, but I remember when it started and got big and I had a few friends who used to be there. I learned a lot in this documentary. For example, I didn't know that Anonymous originated in 2003 on 4chan. I learned more about January 6th with the attack on Capitol, the evolution of memes, Qanon, maga, etc.
It was also interesting to see these hackers being interviewed. They are not very likeable people most of them. It is also so very crazy that people are so easily fooled by what they read on the internet and that they believe it fully. Someone says something on the internet, and it can turn into a very large real movement/demonstration. It's crazy how stupid people are, but also very interesting.
It was also interesting to see these hackers being interviewed. They are not very likeable people most of them. It is also so very crazy that people are so easily fooled by what they read on the internet and that they believe it fully. Someone says something on the internet, and it can turn into a very large real movement/demonstration. It's crazy how stupid people are, but also very interesting.
- groundzero-273-397110
- Jul 10, 2024
- Permalink
Informative and enlightening documentation!
For people like me, who have only been able to delve deeper into the world of the Internet after a long period of family responsibilities, documentaries of this kind are helpful in understanding what has actually happened over the past two decades. The effects of the developments described in the film are visible to everyone in everyday and professional life. I didn't really like the excessive rush of images, but I admit that it fits the protagonists and their actions quite well.
The global streaming service NETFLIX certainly does educational work with such films. We should also remember the documentary about the CYBERBUNKER in the small German town of Traben-Trabach.
The question remains what to do now with the knowledge gained. The troll armies around the world remain active and have long been taking care of the next generation.
For people like me, who have only been able to delve deeper into the world of the Internet after a long period of family responsibilities, documentaries of this kind are helpful in understanding what has actually happened over the past two decades. The effects of the developments described in the film are visible to everyone in everyday and professional life. I didn't really like the excessive rush of images, but I admit that it fits the protagonists and their actions quite well.
The global streaming service NETFLIX certainly does educational work with such films. We should also remember the documentary about the CYBERBUNKER in the small German town of Traben-Trabach.
The question remains what to do now with the knowledge gained. The troll armies around the world remain active and have long been taking care of the next generation.
- ZeddaZogenau
- Apr 6, 2024
- Permalink
- Bmore-Hero
- Jul 27, 2024
- Permalink
Plot
A group of lonely teenagers formed an online community and bonded over their isolation, but their collective beliefs warped reality.
Cast
Sadly those interviewed are for the most part far from decent human beings.
Verdict
Just to confuse myself this was the second documentary of its sort within a very short period of time, the other also featured hacking and anonymous. This however was the superior piece by far and was an entertaining though damning subject matter that unfortunately I'd experienced the consequences of first hand.
It looks at the history of 4chan which though I'm very aware of, didn't know some of the eccentricities and found them very interesting. It shows the snowball effect of online extremism and how badly even simple "Mean words" can escalate.
The trouble is the people interviewed are not good folks, they glamorize hacking, they defend trolling, most appreciate by the end that their behavior was foolhardy and escalated granted but it changes nothing.
The anti-social network is very well made, devastating subject matter and entirely fascinating.
Rants
I see word within the reviews as usual spouting agenda/propaganda, those words have lost all meaning. It's not attacking one political side, it's examining one subject and it just happens to be one side that's responsible for all the consequences and side effects.
You see I mentioned I'd experienced this first hand, my ex was a rational decent human being then she came across the online hive of hate, right wing extremism and conspiracies and over the course of two years she changed in ways I didn't even think was possible. She became racist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-immigrant, anti-benefits claimant, a seething ball of hate against every minority. She grabbed hold of every conspiracy going, flat earth, chemtrails, the LGBT agenda and planet X (She loved that one). She lost her mind, and funnily enough yes she become a Trump fan. The internet has a great power to change people, and make them completely unconditionally lose the plot and that leads to further unpleasantness and spreads like a plague.
The Good
Very well made Stylish Insightful
The Bad
Those interviewed as wretches Pure rage fuel.
A group of lonely teenagers formed an online community and bonded over their isolation, but their collective beliefs warped reality.
Cast
Sadly those interviewed are for the most part far from decent human beings.
Verdict
Just to confuse myself this was the second documentary of its sort within a very short period of time, the other also featured hacking and anonymous. This however was the superior piece by far and was an entertaining though damning subject matter that unfortunately I'd experienced the consequences of first hand.
It looks at the history of 4chan which though I'm very aware of, didn't know some of the eccentricities and found them very interesting. It shows the snowball effect of online extremism and how badly even simple "Mean words" can escalate.
The trouble is the people interviewed are not good folks, they glamorize hacking, they defend trolling, most appreciate by the end that their behavior was foolhardy and escalated granted but it changes nothing.
The anti-social network is very well made, devastating subject matter and entirely fascinating.
Rants
I see word within the reviews as usual spouting agenda/propaganda, those words have lost all meaning. It's not attacking one political side, it's examining one subject and it just happens to be one side that's responsible for all the consequences and side effects.
You see I mentioned I'd experienced this first hand, my ex was a rational decent human being then she came across the online hive of hate, right wing extremism and conspiracies and over the course of two years she changed in ways I didn't even think was possible. She became racist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-immigrant, anti-benefits claimant, a seething ball of hate against every minority. She grabbed hold of every conspiracy going, flat earth, chemtrails, the LGBT agenda and planet X (She loved that one). She lost her mind, and funnily enough yes she become a Trump fan. The internet has a great power to change people, and make them completely unconditionally lose the plot and that leads to further unpleasantness and spreads like a plague.
The Good
Very well made Stylish Insightful
The Bad
Those interviewed as wretches Pure rage fuel.
- Platypuschow
- Jun 13, 2024
- Permalink
As one could expect, a documentary about people on the Internet gets very mixed reviews from people on the Internet.
This documentary raises many thoughts when it goes through some of the history of 4chan, Anonymous, Qanon, and MAGA, and how they link together. I found it personally very interesting, well-made, and I learned some new information. As a viewer, however, you need to remember that this is still just an edited Netflix documentary about the Internet and, well, you can never really know the whole truth about that. Do some people make themselves seem more important than they truly were? Who knows. Maybe, maybe not.
In whole, this is an important topic especially in today's world and I'm glad I decided to watch it. And you conspiracy theorists, you live in a made-up world.
This documentary raises many thoughts when it goes through some of the history of 4chan, Anonymous, Qanon, and MAGA, and how they link together. I found it personally very interesting, well-made, and I learned some new information. As a viewer, however, you need to remember that this is still just an edited Netflix documentary about the Internet and, well, you can never really know the whole truth about that. Do some people make themselves seem more important than they truly were? Who knows. Maybe, maybe not.
In whole, this is an important topic especially in today's world and I'm glad I decided to watch it. And you conspiracy theorists, you live in a made-up world.
The documentary tries to tell a story that is not true. 4Chan has always been considered an unethical platform by "normal" people. The documentary not only trivializes the behavior of the members but also gives them even more supposed influence in the historical narrative. They show trolling of the first 4Chan generation as a relatively harmless practice. But remember these are the people who had fun by for example spamming homepages which are meant to help people suffering form epilepsy by posting pictures that could actually trigger an epileptic seizure, which is life-threatening. All this is totally trivialized in this documentary. Only half-truths are told. Everything that doesn't fit into the "storytelling" is ignored.
"The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem" is a documentary tracing the evolution from 2 chan, a Japanese anime website, to 4 chan to Anonymous to 8 chan to nihilism to Q Anon. It also shows how the business model of stirring up anger and fear spread to the mainstream social media. It interviews key people in the creation and development of this phenomenon. And it shows how even they get horrified with what they have unleashed. I knew some of this but the documentary connects the dots. It also shows how this has bled into the real world. But this isn't anti-technology. Behind this is people, some well-meaning but naive, some immature, some hateful, and some cynically using all the others.
- revchristodd-138-985726
- Jul 20, 2024
- Permalink
- theknownames
- Apr 9, 2024
- Permalink
It's an interesting history lesson for someone like me, who was a bit of a technophobe until probably about 2010.
It charts the early years of the internet and perhaps the infancy of social media, I honestly had no idea that memes about so early on.
Amazing to see how politics plays such a big in the story, I nicely had very little idea, so there is a lot here to learn.
I didn't know a huge deal about Anonymous, so learning was a real eye opener, you can work out whether you think they were a force for change, for good, or for something else.
On the downside, it's too much, don't watch it if you have a headache, it'll make it ten times worse, it's relentless images, it's too much to take in.
I'm someone that feels quite strongly about changing anonymity rules online, maybe before anything happens, people need to realise and understand the origins, this would be a good place to start.
8/10.
It charts the early years of the internet and perhaps the infancy of social media, I honestly had no idea that memes about so early on.
Amazing to see how politics plays such a big in the story, I nicely had very little idea, so there is a lot here to learn.
I didn't know a huge deal about Anonymous, so learning was a real eye opener, you can work out whether you think they were a force for change, for good, or for something else.
On the downside, it's too much, don't watch it if you have a headache, it'll make it ten times worse, it's relentless images, it's too much to take in.
I'm someone that feels quite strongly about changing anonymity rules online, maybe before anything happens, people need to realise and understand the origins, this would be a good place to start.
8/10.
- Sleepin_Dragon
- Apr 15, 2024
- Permalink
Finally someone took the time to address this more or less properly.
So... Is it perfect? No.
But at least it tries to tackle the absurdity of the times we live in.
Going much further than other documentaries or books in unveiling some of the people that spawned the whole toxic internet trend - albeit leaving aside the vast influence of a certain current belligerent super power - it gives a simple, but credible, history lesson on why we are in the current political situation.
And no, I'm absolutely not talking just about the USA.
What happened there is ground zero for other 'experiences' that are starting to materialize in other countries (they even mention what happened in early 2000's with 2Chan) and that continue to occur in our age of misinformation.
The simple fact that some people are so desperate (and plainly stupid) as to be able to believe these pranksters should be enough to make us stop and meditate about what being online really means.
Just one more thing: this is a documentary and my rating is not based on the formal quality of the film.
This is a presentation of part of an important story.
A story that should be dissected and investigated much, much further. That said, as first efforts go this is a 5 in terms of usefulness and overall importance.
So... Is it perfect? No.
But at least it tries to tackle the absurdity of the times we live in.
Going much further than other documentaries or books in unveiling some of the people that spawned the whole toxic internet trend - albeit leaving aside the vast influence of a certain current belligerent super power - it gives a simple, but credible, history lesson on why we are in the current political situation.
And no, I'm absolutely not talking just about the USA.
What happened there is ground zero for other 'experiences' that are starting to materialize in other countries (they even mention what happened in early 2000's with 2Chan) and that continue to occur in our age of misinformation.
The simple fact that some people are so desperate (and plainly stupid) as to be able to believe these pranksters should be enough to make us stop and meditate about what being online really means.
Just one more thing: this is a documentary and my rating is not based on the formal quality of the film.
This is a presentation of part of an important story.
A story that should be dissected and investigated much, much further. That said, as first efforts go this is a 5 in terms of usefulness and overall importance.
- psfilipe-1
- Jun 11, 2024
- Permalink
The bulk of the Netflix slickness subsides after about minute three (streamers gotta grab those viewers!) and then the film settles into a well-crafted and insightful piece of journalism. The story is a great primer if you're new to the topic, but it also fills in a lot of gaps even if you think you're well-versed. 4chan history is an elusive and contentious subject, but the filmmakers managed to carve out a narrative and tone that is clear, incisive and fair, especially considering the story spans a couple decades - from its roots in Japan's 2channel to recent events we all watched spill out into the real world. This film would be great for media studies students.
- kerryisbest-911-567910
- Apr 13, 2024
- Permalink
- burlesonjesse5
- Jun 17, 2024
- Permalink
Well I will say it's got to be pretty obvious anyone that's reading this documentary at less than 5 is clearly doing their very best to embody the trolling the movie highlights so well. Even if it wasn't intentional I do hope you can recognize the irony in your attempt to troll and otherwise reasonably well done documentary
Some all I did well this movie could do with quite a few improvements it does absolutely shine a spotlight on something that either a new far more about than I actually did. I had no idea the Nexus of so many right-wing conspiracies were actual troll moves. While funny and ironic, it is massively disappointing and problematic but really not for me to figure out.
Some all I did well this movie could do with quite a few improvements it does absolutely shine a spotlight on something that either a new far more about than I actually did. I had no idea the Nexus of so many right-wing conspiracies were actual troll moves. While funny and ironic, it is massively disappointing and problematic but really not for me to figure out.
Also really funny to see right-winged people around here so willingly confirm that they're ignorant/blind to the ammount of damage that their political views / conservative ways / prejudiced minds do to everyone.
This movie does a well rounded analysis of the most important internet phenomena, taking in incredibly intelligent interviewees who show how rotten and brilliant the internet can be, when regarding the social sphere of life affecting others. Particularly interesting is how well exposed the rotten structures of our system blatantly repress and supress, in the most violent ways possible, any attempt of real change.
If only people would wake up. Really sad to see people around here thinking its "left-leaned" because it showed irrevocable truth on political events that happened.
This movie does a well rounded analysis of the most important internet phenomena, taking in incredibly intelligent interviewees who show how rotten and brilliant the internet can be, when regarding the social sphere of life affecting others. Particularly interesting is how well exposed the rotten structures of our system blatantly repress and supress, in the most violent ways possible, any attempt of real change.
If only people would wake up. Really sad to see people around here thinking its "left-leaned" because it showed irrevocable truth on political events that happened.
- marceloalmeida_a
- May 1, 2024
- Permalink
"The Antisocial Network" not only captivates with its compelling narrative and artistic brilliance but also shines a spotlight on the unsung heroes of our society-the janitors. These individuals, often overlooked and underappreciated, carry out their duties with unwavering dedication, despite receiving no pay or bonuses for their efforts. Their silent contributions form the backbone of the story, underscoring the resilience and selflessness that define their character. Through their portrayal, the film pays homage to the countless janitors who toil tirelessly behind the scenes, embodying the spirit of service without expectation of reward. Their portrayal adds a layer of authenticity and depth to the narrative, serving as a poignant reminder of the quiet heroes who enrich our lives in ways we may never fully comprehend.
- evanzimmer
- Apr 4, 2024
- Permalink