Netflix’s ‘Unknown Number’ Raises Some Troubling Questions

The following post contains spoilers for Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.

Today, the top movie on Netflix isn’t “Kpop Demon Hunters,” Netflix’s shiny new adaptation of “The Thursday Murder Club,” or even “Shrek.” In fact, “Shrek” currently ranks third on Netflix at the moment. That green ogre certainly is a crowd favorite!

As for the top Netflix film currently, it’s a chilling true-crime documentary titled “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.” After learning about its plot, which seems like a real-life horror movie scenario, you’ll quickly comprehend why it has gained such popularity.

In a small town in Michigan, a young romantic pair experiences constant harassment from an unknown cyberbully over several years. This bully floods their phones with offensive, threatening text messages, revealing intimate knowledge of their personal lives, hinting at a close acquaintance or someone who cares about them deeply among the suspects. However, each apparent suspect has an ironclad alibi. Frustratingly, blocking the harassing number offers no relief since the tormentor employs a messaging app that masks their identity. The local law enforcement is left scratching their heads, unable to uncover the bully, even after the couple calls it quits on their relationship. The texts persist despite their separation.

As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but be captivated by Skye Borgman’s masterpiece even before pressing play. This movie is unlike any other, delving into a tangled web of drama that feels all too real. The filmmakers have remarkably managed to gain unprecedented access to the key figures in this intriguing saga – from the young couple who became victims of cyberstalking, to their families on both sides, the circle of friends they moved in, school authorities, investigating officers, and even a classmate who was initially suspected but later found to have been framed by the actual catfisher. This film promises an engaging exploration of modern-day intrigue that you won’t want to miss!

In these events, the actual participants not only shared their stories with Borgman through interviews, but they also recreated many of the incidents for her camera. The documentary Unknown Number features numerous slow-motion scenes, shot in dimly lit bedrooms and hallways of high schools, where teens and parents are shown cautiously scrutinizing their phones.

Documentary films often incorporate reenactments, usually performed by actors, but occasionally the subjects themselves appear on camera. However, it’s rare to find a documentary like ‘Unknown Number’, which went a step further by having the individual who admitted and was convicted of stalking a minor (spoiler alert: Kendra Licari, the mother of the victim) not only be interviewed but also participate in the reenactments as an actor.

In the picture you see and at the top of this article, it’s Licari lounging on a sofa in the dim light, seemingly reenacting instances where she reportedly texted her daughter, such as messages that were critical of her appearance or suggested self-harm. Licari’s behavior is hard to understand, but the choice to film her performing these acts for the movie is nearly as surprising.

In storytelling terms, it’s clear why Licari was included in the narrative. If every character except her was present, she would stand out as a likely culprit right away. Conversely, her early appearances where she warmly discusses her daughter and their bond suggest innocence. This contrast makes it all the more perplexing when we learn that she ended up serving prison time. (Licari was freed in August of 2024.)

According to Borgman’s comments on Netflix’s official news platform Tudum, he discussed Licari’s part in the documentary.

Borgman recounts that convincing Kendra took a considerable amount of time, but eventually, she consented to discuss the case directly. This prospect seemed attractive to Kendra as it allowed her to share her story from her own viewpoint, and her daughter could witness this. It seems that she wanted to do this for her daughter.

It’s important to mention that, as reported by an unspecified source, Licari is prohibited from visiting her daughter after being released from prison, a place where she spent time for the crime of stalking her own child.

It seems reasonable to allow Licari an opportunity to share her perspective on the situation, as she presents several justifications for her actions in interviews. At one instance, she compares lawbreaking to driving under the influence without getting caught. In another, she admits to being mentally distressed during the incident. She maintains that someone else initiated the initial text messages and began responding herself later on, although this assertion is met with doubt by others in the documentary. Towards the end of the documentary, she discloses her personal history of teenage abuse and how dealing with a high-school-aged daughter reopened old wounds from her own trauma.

While it’s questionable if her apologies genuinely reflect regret, the scenes depicting Licari reenacting unlawful actions seem unnecessary and fail to offset the film’s challenging moral dilemmas. Observing Licari spy on a cell phone from the shadows, or victims reliving their traumatic experiences for public consumption on camera, doesn’t bring clarity – quite the opposite. The boundary between teaching and exploitation becomes particularly unclear in such instances.

The growing interest in the film titled “Unknown Number” has sparked a discussion about children’s use of cell phones, and concerns over how these devices can be misused as tools for harm. It’s crucial that we have this debate, but I also hope there will be a time when we delve into how the film portrays its characters, often for cheap shock value and to produce “popular TV.” In my opinion, this documentary could benefit from a closer examination of its own production process – how did it come to be made in such a manner?

12 Great Netflix Movies You Never Watched

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)

As a diehard film enthusiast, I can’t help but marvel at the 20-year gap between Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler’s collaborations. Their last joint venture before “The Meyerowitz Stories” was the iconic “Happy Gilmore,” and it left me questioning why we haven’t been treated to two decades of their partnership. Nonetheless, “The Meyerowitz Stories” was undeniably worth the wait. In this masterpiece, Stiller and Sandler deliver compelling performances as estranged half-brothers grappling with their troubled relationships with their artist father, Harold, played by the brilliant Dustin Hoffman. Interestingly enough, they’ve recently joined forces again on a Netflix project called “Happy Gilmore 2.”

The Other Side of the Wind (2018)

Netflix’s dominance in the film industry is so significant that even deceased directors, such as Orson Welles who passed away in 1985, are now part of their roster. In theaters, one can find his name on a title card: “Netflix presents… An Orson Welles Picture.” This peculiar phrase sets an unsettling tone for the film that follows. The movie was pieced together from approximately 100 hours of raw footage and notes left by Welles, who intermittently worked on it throughout the 1970s as his financial situation fluctuated. A team of producers and editors aimed to realize Welles’ original vision for an unfinished film. The completed product shares a similar aesthetic with Welles’ documentary “F For Fake,” created around the same time, and thematically resonates with “Citizen Kane” – although it lacks the precision and sometimes leans towards silliness compared to his masterpieces.

Private Life (2018)

Although I’m not privy to Tamara Jenkins’ personal life details, her film feels strikingly authentic due to my own family’s struggles with fertility issues. This movie uniquely portrays a couple (brilliantly played by Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti) grappling with the challenge of having a baby, a situation that’s becoming more prevalent as people prioritize careers over starting families at an older age. Interestingly, this theme hasn’t been addressed so candidly on screen before. By delving into private moments of distress, Jenkins has transformed these painful experiences into a work of art.

The emphasis remains the same: the movie accurately portrays fertility issues, which are increasingly common in today’s society, and does so with remarkable honesty.

Triple Frontier (2019)

In a different time, this film would have been a low-budget action movie directed by Don Siegel, playing as the second feature in a gritty double bill. However, in today’s streaming era, it was one of the numerous movies that appeared on Netflix in 2019 and soon disappeared from public view. If you haven’t seen Triple Frontier, I recommend revisiting Netflix’s library to find it.

At first glance, the movie seems like a typical war or action film with all the muscular men in military gear on the posters. But don’t be fooled; Triple Frontier is more akin to The Treasure of Sierra Madre – a noir story that warns about the destructive effects of greed. A group of veterans come together to rob a drug dealer, but their meticulous planning is unraveled by countless minor setbacks, including a helicopter that can’t fly due to the weight of too much money.

Ben Affleck’s recent acting choices suggest he may have some insight into greed’s damaging influence, which could explain why his performance in Triple Frontier surpasses anything he has done in recent years.

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019)

The movie “Rolling Thunder Revue,” directed by Martin Scorsese, offers an entertaining take on myth-building disguised as a documentary. While Scorsese wasn’t part of the Rolling Thunder tour during the 1970s, he compiled this film using concert footage, segments, and outtakes from Bob Dylan’s less frequently seen movie “Renaldo and Clara,” which Dylan made during the same time. The film features new interviews with several participants, including Dylan himself, who humorously admits, “I don’t remember a thing about Rolling Thunder! It happened so long ago, I wasn’t even born.”

“Rolling Thunder Revue” might not be as comical as “This Is Spinal Tap,” but it leans more towards that genre than many viewers may realize, especially if they happen to stumble upon this film in the depths of Netflix’s library.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Despite the complex title or its roots in a popular European singing competition that may not be familiar to many Americans, this movie is worth watching. It stands out as one of Will Ferrell’s funniest performances in a decade. He shares a delightful chemistry with Rachel McAdams, who keeps pace with him in delivering witty jokes. They portray an Icelandic duo who, in Ferrell’s character’s case, serendipitously find themselves representing their country at the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The contest itself is entertaining, the songs are amusing and catchy, and the performances of Ferrell and McAdams are remarkable. If you don’t enjoy it, you might just be a grump!

In this version, I’ve tried to maintain the tone and essence of the original text while making it more accessible and easy to read for a broader audience.

High Flying Bird (2020)

Enjoying movies with intelligent characters can be quite engaging. These characters often keep us on our toes because their actions are unpredictable. Generally, intelligent characters tend to appear in thought-provoking films, as not every filmmaker has the skill to create such characters. “High Flying Bird,” directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, is one of those films that boasts smart characters. André Holland, known for his role in “Moonlight,” plays Ray Burke, a basketball agent struggling to find a solution to an NBA lockout threatening his top client. The film resembles an “Ocean’s” movie set within the sports business world and is incredibly intelligent.

Descendant (2022)

As a follower, I can attest that documentary filmmaking, for me, is an artful blend of observation and questioning – skills that Margaret Brown undeniably masters. She has a knack for asking the right questions to the right people, and her ability to intertwine their responses paints a comprehensive portrait of a community in Alabama, struggling with the unearthing of debris from the Clotilda, the final vessel to transport enslaved Africans to America.

Moreover, Brown understands when to step back and let the camera capture moments as they unfold naturally. Unlike many Netflix documentaries that seem hastily assembled to capitalize on trending news stories, Descendant stands out as a work of depth and substance, far from being just another quickie production.

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022)

Richard Linklater, after fifteen years, made his debut in animated movies with a film that explores the thin line between dreams and memories. _Apollo 10 1/2_ takes us on a journey through Linklater’s childhood in Houston surrounded by NASA, blending reality and imagination as he imagines being the first boy in space due to an Apollo capsule too small for adult astronauts after a construction accident. The movie beautifully captures the atmosphere, sights, sounds, and culture of the late ’60s, giving us a glimpse into Linklater’s mind and formative years.

Leo (2023)

Adam Sandler was among the early Hollywood celebrities to join Netflix, and he’s created several of their top-rated shows, including “Murder Mystery” and “Happy Gilmore 2.” He has also utilized his celebrity status to support director Noah Baumbach’s movie “The Meyerowitz Stories,” as well as lending his voice for the lesser-known animated film “Leo.” This movie, about an old classroom pet who tires of school life and wishes to explore the world before he dies, could have been overly sentimental or silly. However, “Leo” is genuinely heartwarming, humorous (and featuring music!), and it accurately portrays kindergarteners as a relentless horde of chaotic little ones.

Rebel Ridge (2024)

In “Rebel Ridge,” Aaron Pierre shone brilliantly as an upright Marine entangled with corrupt cops. However, despite being one of a dozen new Netflix movies released in September 2024, it didn’t generate much buzz in the movie world. Yet, this doesn’t detract from Pierre’s exceptional performance or Jeremy Saulnier’s delivery of another gripping action film, reminiscent of “First Blood” but reflecting our contemporary society’s chaos.

The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)

When I was young, I used to be captivated by the creation process of “We Are the World,” and I would repeatedly watch the documentary about it titled “We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song.” This latest documentary blends contemporary interviews with Lionel Ritchie and some of the other stars from “We Are the World” alongside intriguing archival footage from the original documentary. Now that I have a better understanding of who everyone is, listening to “We Are the World” serves as an intriguing snapshot of ’80s pop, rock, and fashion, including Lindsey Buckingham’s impressive, voluminous, and geometric hairstyle. It’s also fascinating to observe the personal dynamics among so many famous individuals with minimal handlers or assistance. Who steps up as a leader? Who experiences anxiety? Who might have had a drink or two? Who objected to singing in Swahili at first sight? If you enjoy delving into such details, you’ll find this film captivating, even if you don’t particularly like “We Are the World.

2025-09-09 21:30