Movie Review: 'We're All Going to the World's Fair' is a Terrifically Moody ARG Horror Movie

One of my favorite YouTube rabbit holes to fall into is Alternate Reality Games or ARG’s. An ARG is an interactive online mystery that invites people watching and participating to keep track of and document clues to a central mystery. These stories often involve elements of true crime, they begin with a murder or an urban legend, they have suspects and clues and make use of YouTube, Reddit and various other forms of social media to expand the mystery in unique ways. The stories are densely packed and easy to get lost in for a few hours.

The new movie, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is a horror movie that takes the concept of an ARG and uses it to drive a fascinating horror plot about a young woman who becomes deeply involved in an ARG only to find it affecting her real life. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is a moody, atmospheric horror movie with a remarkable central performance by Anna Cobb.

Casey (Cobb) is seemingly your average disaffected teenager. She has a difficult relationship with her never-seen father, she’s been deeply affected by the loss of her mother, and she’s turned to the internet to find a place to get away from her pain. In an effort to find something to connect with, Casey has become obsessed with an ARG that many claim takes a supernatural hold over those who take part in its central challenge.

It’s called the ‘World’s Fair Challenge’ and soon after Casey performs the challenge, on camera, posted to her YouTube page, strange things do begin to occur. Casey begins to experience waking nightmares, she has strange episodes while she sleeps that she documents for her YouTube channel, and she begins to think she is losing her grip on reality. Casey’s videos don’t rack up many views but one viewer in particular takes an interest in her wellbeing.

A YouTube fan calling himself JLB (Michael J Rogers), a follower and fan of the World’s Fair ARG, begins corresponding with Casey over Skype. At first, the two share a friendly interest in sharing their observations about the mystery at the center of the World’s Fair story. As their interactions increase however, JLB begins to worry for Casey’s safety. He wants to help but he’s a stranger who is also dealing with his own haunting aftermath of the challenge.

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair centers almost entirely on Casey but there are several other notable inclusions in the cast, a select group of YouTubers from the world of ARG’s, online mysteries and general content creators. YouTube personalities Theo Anthony, Evan Santiago, May “NyxFears” Leitz, and the ASMR content creator Slight Sounds, add a level of authenticity to the stylish and creepy storytelling of writer-director Jane Schoenbrun.

Writer-Director Schoenbrun and star Anna Cobb are a pair to watch in the future. Schoenbrun’s first feature, and Cobb’s first starring role, are a marvelous partnership of a director’s eye and a talent capable of going to the emotional extremes the director is calling for without drifting into over-acting. Cobb is a mere 18 years old and starring in her first feature film and she holds the screen like a veteran presence. You can’t take your eyes off of her, she communicates pain and angst without a hint of the inauthentic.

Part of what makes Cobb so successful is a director in full mastery of the story she is telling. Schoenbrun immerses in the world of Casey and allows her lead actor to explore the space of the online ARG and the role she’s chosen to play within it. Shoenbrun employs a deeply disconcerting visual style leavened by the typicalities of a teenagers bedroom, a suburban home teeming with dusty shadows, and the haunting memories of a grieving child.

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is chilling and thick with mystery and intrigue grounded within the unique community surrounding Alternate Reality Games, a genre that thrives on moody, atmospheric music, strange and disturbing visuals, and intricately woven lore that invites the audience to be part of the mystery. The deeper you invest the more the movie sucks you in, in the best possible ways. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is immersive as an ARG and as a horror movie.

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair opens Friday, April 15th, 2022 in limited theatrical release.