Caught in the Net

Clean marketing and filmmaking work. Klusák and Chalupová have delivered such an unpleasant, funny, understandable, simple and emotionally instructive title to overcome the traditional limitations of documentaries, which demand active cooperation and deeper empathy from the viewer. Like the "opening of a discussion" it's "cool ammo for memes and internet humor". It does not convey anything revolutionary and it does not discover anything stimulating, but it reliably draws you in, and perhaps it will lead to changes beyond the momentary event. The best moment of the documentary is the conclusion, which shows that mere "moral outrage" is not enough to humiliate the predator and drive him into a corner. That's the whole tragedy. (29/02/2020)

Although I still can't get rid of the impression that there was primarily calculation in Caught in the Net, but when the result is ultimately what it is, I can't even hold it against the creators. If the situation is really one that surprised parents (as well as documentary-makers) don't realize the danger lurking for children on the internet, they need not only to be told, but in fact shown. And it's a really ugly and disturbing spectacle, and in places very suggestive from my point of view. I take my hat off mainly to the trio of actresses, but it's too bad that Anežka Pithartová got probably the least space, because I think she “played" the best with the callers. Her seemingly innocent questions did not have the slightest chance of peeking through, but the viewer, who knows what is going on, could perhaps enjoy how refined the traps are and the hunting accuracy the actress places them. (14/03/2021)

I must express my admiration for the creators who embarked on such an ambitious project for an undeniably laudable purpose. The topics they deal with are not just a problem, but a pretty woeful stain of today’s society that needs to be addressed. The question is whether it should be in such a brutal form – personally, I couldn’t avoid the feeling that I was watching a theatre play, though I have no doubt that this is how it really happens and that I was watching real, despicable human creatures on screen. The problem is that, despite all the declaims of authenticity, the documentary is terribly manipulative and forces the viewer to a one-sided interpretation of each idea and dialogue, even before they happen. And that’s how the most touching scene is supposed to be the conversation with a decent 20 y.o. boy who doesn’t want nudes, but just enjoys communicating with 12 y.o. kids (which I still feel it’s weird). The scenes and the format overall are effective, but mainly because of the way the creators use all the formal resources to play with the viewer, who is automatically expected to empathise a participate emotionally – and yeah, there were a couple of times that it almost lifted me from my seat, but I often laughed at the soundbites of the characters (or the actors, I really don’t know where the acting ends) because the “reaction shots” format actually called for that. It’s certainly an interesting and even praiseworthy piece of work and it’s good that someone other than the sexually torn Langmajer is filling Czech cinemas, but regardless of my acknowledgement of the message, I don’t believe the creators much, unfortunately. In any case, thumbs up to the trio of actresses, they were amazing. 65% (05/03/2020)

As a standalone film, it wouldn't be as good or as powerful as the whole combo of a film for adults and juveniles, and a book and awareness. I am thankful for the clarity, playfulness and ugliness. This is exactly what was needed and I sincerely hope that a miracle will happen in some families. It is already clear that this is Klusák's second biggest notch after Czech Dream. (09/06/2020)

Klusák is on top, this time also thanks to his progressive student Barbora Chalupová. I told myself that after crushing the moral cripple who has been prime minister for some time now, there is not really any room left to go anywhere, that there is no place to find stronger opponents, and the parody elegy about a bald, uncouth man who receives an educational soda in the middle of Auschwitz somehow confirmed this. But now comes this punch to the gut. To accuse the director of having an over-inflated ego at a time when Czech documentaries probably don’t have a stronger personality is more of a poor construct than a useful criticism. They could have sat in three little rooms instead of building three fakes in the middle of a hall, but if you have strong filmmaking ambitions, the question is not why, but how. And it serves a purpose. Even if you teach civics and computer science, when cybersecurity is on your mind, you know from hints what kids are looking at on the internet today, so you probably know what you'll be dealing with. But Caught in the Net goes far beyond the ordinary imagination. The concentrated moral bottom crammed into a hundred minutes, in which every excuse for a relieved laugh is accompanied by a feeling of inadequacy, will mix your feelings quite a bit. However, the dramatic arc works well, managing to encompass both the documentary process itself and the regular tension, which is almost unbearable when sitting down and drinking a lemonade. I was curious about the ending, the point, which must necessarily lead to education. However, the final interview describes all the dirt in three minutes without any hint of a moral extension. The subtitles, tears on the edge of my eyes, heavy legs, and an uncontrollable urge to be home immediately and hug my own child. And a double shot of alcohol. Nothing more important will pass through Czech movie theaters this year. (30/01/2020)