Gefangen im Netz

Ein Horrordokumentarfilm. Nicht deswegen, dass es ähnliche "Prädatoren“ gibt, aber deswegen, WIE VIELE von ihnen existieren. Wie sollte man darauf reagieren? Sie zu finden und einzusperren? Es wären Tausende bis Zehntausende Männer, oft vielleicht Familienväter. Das geht wohl nicht. Aber schon die Aufmerksamkeit, die diesen Dokumentarfilm begleitet, beschränkt hoffentlich ihr Verhalten. Mindestens für einige Jahre. Klusák und Chalupová haben es ausgezeichnet geschafft. Ich schätze Ideen wie das Zeigen vom "guten Gesicht“, das von angenehmer Musik begleitet wird, oder die letzte Szene, die so emotional wird, dass den Zuschauerinnen und Zuschauern zusammen mit den Autoren vor der Kamera die Hände zittern. (29.07.2020)

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)

Saubere Arbeit, marketingtechnisch und filmemacherisch auch. Klusák und Chalupová haben genauso einen so unangenehmen, lustigen, verständlichen, einfachen und emotional belehrenden Titel zu Stande gebracht, um die traditionellen Grenzen von Dokumentarfilmen zu überwinden, bei denen vom Zuschauer eine aktive Teilnahme verlangt wird und ebenso eine tiefergehende Empathie. Ebenso wie die "Eröffnung einer Diskussion" ist dies eine "coole Munition für Meme sowie den Internet-Humor". Vermittelt wird hier zwar nichts Revolutionäres, entdeckt wird nichts Anregendes, jedoch es zieht einen zuverlässig ins Geschehen hinein und führt möglicherweise Veränderungen herbei, die über den Rahmen eines momentanen Ereignisses hinausgehen. Der beste Augenblick des Dokufilms ist dessen Schluss, der aufzeigt, dass eine bloße "moralische Empörung" nicht ausreicht, um einen Prädator zu demütigen oder ihn in eine Ecke zu treiben. Darin besteht eben die gesamte Tragödie. (29.02.2020)

The Czech event of the year, which should probably be seen by everyone, although only parents and grandparents will be shocked by it. Caught In the Net is a documentary with a good idea presented in a form that doesn't bore, so even people who don't watch documentaries should give it chance. It focuses on three young girls with childlike features that make them look 12 years old as they explore the darkness of social networking sites full of sexual predators. But it is Tereza Těžka who gets most of the attention, giving the most believable performance of all (the final 20 minutes are very gripping and emotional). I wonder if Caught In the Net will be shown compulsorily at schools one day. Story****, Action>No, Humor***, Violence>No, Entertainment****, Music**, Visual**, Atmosphere****, Suspense***. 8/10. (25.10.2020)

Als einzelner Film wäre es nicht so gut oder so wirkungsvoll wie die gesamte Kombination aus Erwachsenen- und Jugendfilm, Buch und Bildung. Danke für die Klarheit, Verspieltheit und Hässlichkeit. Genau das haben wir gebraucht, und ich hoffe aufrichtig, dass in einigen Familien ein Wunder geschehen wird. Schon jetzt ist klar, dass das hier Klusáks zweitgrößter Erfolg nach Český sen - der Tschechische Traum ist. (09.06.2020)

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)

Gefangen im Netz wird sicher in die Geschichte des tschechischen Dokumentarfilms eingehen (oder ist es schon längst), denn er behandelt (wie sollte es anders sein) ein sehr heißes und aktuelles Thema, das hoffentlich viele Zuschauer nicht kalt lassen wird. Wenn man sich diese direkte Untersuchung der virtuellen Welt der Sexualstraftäter ansieht, muss man sich fragen: WTF?! Den Filmemachern und Schauspielerinnen ist sicherlich für ihren Mut zu danken, solche Themen anzupacken und sie auf der Leinwand ansprechend und lehrreich umzusetzen. Im Laufe von hundert Minuten lernt der Zuschauer alle möglichen Personen kennen - von völlig harmlosen Menschen bis hin zum moralischen Abschaum ohne ein Fünkchen Empathie oder Urteilsvermögen. Ich hoffe, dass die Botschaft dieser mutigen Tat nicht verpufft und viele Menschen zum Nachdenken bringt. (28.02.2020)

Well, the fact that the Internet is full of predators and it should be clear to all parents that their spawn should be careful in these waters. Those who don’t get it had better not have children, as they’d clearly be useless in protecting them against external threat. But I felt much worse when I put myself in the shoes of a typical predator. Can't a guy show his dong to a hot twelve-year-old without having to worry about it being a nasty scam, with an entire film crew watching, and the girl actually being at least twenty years old? Ew, I'd feel like a gerontophile! But, on a more serious note; I don't mind when a film is disgusting, I’m not in the habit of avoiding porn (what a nice euphemism I came up with) but watching this didn’t make me feel easy at all. It was intense and hats off to all three "twelve-year-olds" for how they managed to bear it and the creator for a really worthwhile idea. A powerful experience and a clear five stars, I'm just not sure if some parents will realize that the fault is not only with those mental cripples... (30.11.2020)

No matter what anyone says, this is a documentary that really makes sense. According to public feedback, it seems to be opening people's eyes. The most shocking thing to me is to find out how many perverts and sexual predators are around underage girls on social media. Unfortunately, the internet age is already choosing its victims and society should be careful not to make them too big. (85%) (31.05.2021)