If you’re someone who’s been scrolling through social media, you know how quickly things can go from harmless to unsettling. And it seems that Hollywood is catching on to the creepiness of this digital age. Following the success of Smile, the same production team is gearing up for a new horror film called Monitor, which has a premise that will send a shiver down your spine, particularly if you’ve ever found yourself in the strange world of internet moderation.
A New Take on Social Media Horror
The idea of Monitor fits neatly into a subgenre of horror films that explore the darker side of the internet and social media—a genre that’s been growing in popularity over the past few years. Films like Unfriended, Follow_Dead, and Friends Request have already explored the chilling potential of our online lives, but Monitor takes it a step further with a more specific focus: social media moderation.
In a way, it’s easy to imagine how this concept could unfold. Just think about the bizarre, often dark things that circulate on Twitter or Instagram. It’s only a matter of time before someone decides to turn this into an even more terrifying concept, blending horror with the omnipresent fears and challenges we face online. Scrolling through social media, it’s easy to see how such a dystopian reality could be the next Black Mirror episode, and Monitor is set to tap into this unsettling potential.
A Demonic Entity Takes Over
As reported by Deadline, the team behind Smile and its sequel, including Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and John Fischer of Temple Hill Entertainment, is behind this chilling new project. In Monitor, the plot revolves around a group of social media moderators who refuse to publish a disturbing video that goes against their platform’s guidelines. And as you can probably guess, this decision doesn’t go over well. A malevolent, demonic creature begins to torment and stalk each moderator, using the screens they encounter in their everyday lives as portals to invade their world. The creature feeds off their fear, slowly inching closer to its goal: escaping from the screen itself.
This premise bears a striking resemblance to the Ring franchise, particularly the vengeful spirit Sadako Yamamura from the 1998 Japanese horror classic. Much like Sadako, this demonic entity uses the power of the screen to control its victims, making the digital world both a space of horror and an endless cycle of dread. What’s especially eerie about this concept is how it mixes an age-old supernatural force with the very real fear many of us have of what lies behind the digital curtain—whether it’s cyberbullying, the spread of harmful content, or the invasiveness of modern technology.
The film is being written and directed by Ryan Polly and Matt Black, who are making their feature film debut with Monitor after having worked on the short film of the same name. The pair’s transition from short to feature film shows promise, and fans of modern horror are certainly intrigued by what they might bring to the table.
A Strong Cast Leads the Charge
As for the cast, Brittany O’Grady—known for her role in The White Lotus as Paula—joins the project in an undisclosed role, though it’s safe to assume she’ll be one of the moderators who becomes a target of the demon. O’Grady’s impressive portfolio includes appearances in Black Christmas and Inside Game, and she is also set to appear in another horror film, In Our Blood, where she plays a filmmaker dealing with a mysterious disappearance.
The premise of Monitor is certainly intriguing, and with the growing fascination surrounding social media’s impact on mental health and society, the film seems poised to capture the imagination of audiences. As our online lives continue to grow more immersive—and sometimes terrifying—films like Monitor will likely find a place in the genre of social media horror. It’s clear that the potential for stories that blur the lines between digital and physical realms is limitless.
While we don’t have an official release date for Monitor just yet, the anticipation is already building. It’s safe to say that if you’re a fan of supernatural horror and digital-age terror, this one is definitely worth keeping an eye on. The internet may never seem quite the same after you see this one.
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A passionate journalist, Iris Lennox covers social and cultural news across the U.S.