Panic Button

A couple of nights ago, me and my brother decided to watch the film Panic button after looking through IMDB recommendations. I'd never heard of it before but it looked interesting from the trailer; I noticed that it was about social networking and I always find stuff like that interesting, because it relates directly to something that i used on a daily basis. This isn't really something I'd usually blog about  and some people may be surprised to see this kind of 'review' on this beauty oriented blog, but due to the actual nature of the film i thought it would be fitting on a social networking site!

The film is described as a 'horror' but I'd say it was more of a thriller, it's not particularly scary or anything. However, it's a complete eye opener to how much people within society today actually use the internet, and for what reasons. It's shocking to realise how things you say /do / look at can be seen, or even monitored, and used against you in the future. I get worried sometimes about things I'm saying online, particularly on twitter as my profile is public. 

"Panic Button is a British independent film released in 2011. The subject matter is intended as a cautionary tale on the dangers of online social networking. Four young people win a competition of a lifetime; they head off on an all expenses paid trip to New York, courtesy of social networking site All2gethr.com. As they board the private jet, they are asked to relinquish their mobile phones and take part in the in-flight entertainment - a new online gaming experience."

This is a basic bit of background info about the film, however it's been quite heavily criticised - 'undercooked climax' and 'a lame cyber-bullying metaphor disguised as a mildly diverting Brit flick'. I can understand these criticisms, and the film itself could be improved, however I do think it succeeds in warning viewers about the dangers of social networking. It's actually worrying how much can be found out about a person from their online usage, and I've started to realise I need to be more careful about what I share. I think this film is worth a watch for anyone who frequently uses social networking sites, which, let's face it, is a pretty large percentage of the population in this day and age! Despite it being a pretty low budget, independent film, it makes some fairly interesting points that make you think!