The dangerous world of online reviews exposed

‘Hell is other people’ says the welcome mat to the D&CFilm office, riffing off Sartre’s reason for keeping his bag on the seat next to him. You can’t help but think if Sartre had ever logged in, he might refine that quote to hell being other people’s opinions. ANON, a short film directed by Keith Wilhelm Kopp, charts the impact of those other people.

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“I’m entitled to my opinion,” barks a not-so-sweaty participant in Kacey’s (Kate Morgan-Jones) fitness class in ANON. That’s IRL – those precious opinions online tend to be mean-spirited one-liners fired out from behind a screen, but with very human consequences.

ANON follows newly qualified fitness coach Kacey, whose confidence is shaken by anonymous online reviews just as she’s starting to build her career.

But Kacey isn’t just plagued by the joyless, demanding, sweaty, scowling faces of the fitness clients and their rough-shod opinions: her dad’s very poorly; her rent is going up by a ridiculous – though believable – amount each month; and her work assessment is imminent. And what you don’t need in that vicious circle are those less-than-constructive criticisms to eat away at your already questioning soul.

On the outside, Kacey is calm and put together. On the inside, she’s a seething mass of stress and doubt.

Take note Sartre, hell might also be a Pilates session, and fittingly, Kacey’s evil self pops up in a session as a glow of red to wickedly goad her own insecurity.

First time writer Kate Morgan-Jones pulls on her own experiences within the fitness industry for a revealing and authentic inquiry into the precarious environment of external reviews. And director Keith Wilhelm Kopp creates a world of dark and light that contrast while each turning up a notch on the pressure cooker of Kacey’s life.

You might not all have fitness careers to develop and protect, but the insidious invasion of the outside world venting its own antagonisms to build up your stress is vicariously relatable. What is also relatable is the very human story, and Kacey’s ultimate human response.

ANON is a recognition and an escape valve to the pressure zone of modern, cyber living. We don’t give stars because they are a shallow exercise of appreciation. And we appreciate ANON, the writing, the acting, the story (lots out of 5, if you insist).

Oh, and a word the wise, don’t read the comments…

ANON is currently entering the festival circuit.