The psychological chiller Cam has been drawing parallels to the hit series Black Mirror for its hauntingly cerebral approach to an oft-shunned subject. Presenting a chilling tale, Cam inserts Madeline Brewer into groundbreaking territory, far removed from her well-known personas in Orange Is the New Black, The Handmaid’s Tale, and as Brontë in Netflix’s gripping series You.
Cam delves into the provocative world of sex work, inspired by scriptwriter Isa Mazzei’s own chapters of life and recorded in her memoir CAMGIRL, which echoes through the movie’s terror-infused narrative. A critic on Rotten Tomatoes remarked: “This authentic and empathetic look at sex work set against a backdrop of a horror film works a lot better than you’d expect thanks to Brewer’s committed performance and Mazzei’s impressive screenplay.”
In the midst of the plot is Alice Ackerman, a camgirl on FreeGirlsLive with the alter ego Lola, notorious for her top rankings on the site. Her world spirals when she finds herself replaced on her own account by an identical impostor escalating the platform’s salacious content—all while the real Alice is locked out and left to fend for herself without any assistance.
The enigmatic doppelgänger at the heart of Cam stops at nothing to sabotage her counterpart’s life, even staging a chilling faux suicide. This spin on identity theft has sparked a contentious reaction among fans, some of whom label it as ‘absolute horror.’
A captivated fan expressed their approval with: “I enjoyed this movie and think it’s worth a watch. Definitely an original idea and executed well. Was it perfect? No, but it kept me hooked!”
For those looking for chills and thrills, another note advises: “If you’re looking for a frightening, scary movie, this isn’t it. But you will be given an interesting concept of a movie with great acting and solid characters.”
Yet, not everyone came away pleased; one perturbed viewer penned a scathing critique mentioning: “The film is absolute horror and the purest psychological thriller!” Cam’s identity as more of a mind-bending shocker than horror seems a recurrent sentiment among cinema aficionados.
One particularly engaged review captured the essence of the film, stating: “Not really a horror movie, but regardless, it keeps you hooked the whole time. Crazy because we are almost at a point where this could actually happen. Reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode.”
Helmed by newcomer director Daniel Goldhaber, “Cam” marked its gripping entrance into the film arena in 2017, preluding other gritty works that explore intense topics like the objectification of women, including the award-winning film Anora and The Substance featuring Demi Moore.
An astute critic remarked: “Cam is a cautionary tale about the postmodern digital landscape where bodies are commodities for sale at the click of a mouse.”
Labelled “excessive” for its nudity and containing “disturbing” scenes by some, the 15-rated flick Cam is now streaming on Netflix.