Jane Schoenbrun’s debut feature, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, is getting renewed attention as their latest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, plays in theaters. The first movie, which premiered at Sundance in 2021, follows a lonely teenager named Casey who takes part in an online ritual called the World’s Fair Challenge. The challenge mixes creepypasta-style storytelling with a viral dare, involving a mantra, drawing blood, and submitting a video. Casey performs the ritual alone in her room, staring into her webcam, which creates an unsettling tone that the reviewer says made him physically recoil.
The film’s premise is that participants report changes after completing the ritual, with symptoms ranging from turning into plastic to becoming Tetris pieces. But the story is less about supernatural horror and more about Casey’s isolation and her attempts to connect with others online. She never interacts with peers her own age, and her father is only heard off-screen, yelling. Her video uploads documenting her supposed transformations become her primary means of reaching out to the world.
Unlike many coming-of-age stories, the movie avoids any sexual awakening plotline and does not sexualize its young protagonist. Instead, it centers on her search for belonging in a hyper-online environment. The only other significant character is JLB, a middle-aged man who contacts Casey claiming she is in danger. Their dynamic adds a layer of unease, with the reviewer noting it strongly suggests JLB may be grooming the vulnerable girl, though the film never states this explicitly.
The movie leans into that ambiguity, blending body horror tropes with intimate looks at a young girl’s private life, giving the whole film a voyeuristic feel. The reviewer praises it as a rare indie original that repurposes familiar horror elements in fresh ways. He notes it does not reach the surreal or campy heights of Schoenbrun’s later works, I Saw the TV Glow or Camp Miasma, but it stands on its own merits.
For US audiences interested in streaming, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is currently available on the Criterion Channel, Kanopy, and Hoopla. The film’s focus on internet culture and digital isolation resonates with contemporary viewers, making it a timely watch ahead of Schoenbrun’s theatrical release. The piece appears as part of the publication’s ongoing coverage of films, music, and books the staff are currently consuming.
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