Parents' Guide to

Cam

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Disturbing thriller about webcam porn has graphic violence.

Movie NR 2018 94 minutes
Cam Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Cam Movie: Scene #1
  • Cam Movie: Scene #2
  • Cam Movie: Scene #3

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Lily._.B
Lily._.B Adult
June 16, 2020
age 12+

Honest review

I think this shows that everyone is human... and should be treated like one no matter the job. I think the parent should say hey my child knows about sex, nudity, and violence. That should be a big deal/ picture. The nudity in it is restricted to mainly boobs, and the language is pretty ok nothing to bad. And not much drugs! I think this movie is okay for 12 year olds and older.
hawkman200
hawkman200 Adult
July 25, 2019
age 18+

its good as a tool to teach little ones

i stream on mixer ..... but thers danger in streaming for money like this as she was doing in that that kids see this and think its cool but thers nothing cool about selling yourself for sex just to make big crowds but this day and age teens think they have to slash or vibrate them selves to when opproval of others in order to be cool..... i say just do a goo web show and dont be nude you shouldnt lower yourself to a slut to make people happy just make it clean and if they dont like it just still be you

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

CAM introduces the exotic Lola (Madeline Brewer), in reality Alice Ackerman from New Mexico, on her FreeGirls.Live channel, doing a live "show" in her panties and a short open jacket that offers glimpses of her breasts. She's thinking up ways to entice her viewers to post comments and pay her tips in "tokens," half of which go to the web administrator running the online service. She is vying against other women around the country to be in the top 50. They bare their breasts, put dildos in various orifices, and ask their viewers what they'd like to see. Violence is a popular item, so Lola slits her own throat, apparently dying on-screen, bleeding out of her jugular. Then she pops up and thanks the guys for watching. When her younger brother's friends discover Alice's work, her hairdresser mother (Melora Walters) finds out. The brother is angry and embarrassed, but the mother is strangely supportive. Some of Lola's regular viewers occasionally come to visit her from far-off places. One seems to try to rape her in a restroom but she runs off after biting his hand. Another moves to be near her. When she's mysteriously locked out of her account and discovers a lookalike doing her show from a set identical to hers, she goes into detective mode, but the clues seem to lead to an army of bots taking over the channel. The website's customer service is useless, as are the police. One ogling officer observes that it's too bad she doesn't have sex with her viewers. Ultimately, she decides on an online showdown with fake Lola, and she almost literally shoots herself in the foot in order to bring her double down.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (13):

This movie seems to think it's telling the story of a sex worker who has dignity, but it's actually telling the story of a sex worker who handles every problem stupidly. Much of the plot makes no sense. In a world of rampant faked violent deaths, why resort to true self-mutilation in the quest to hurt someone or something else? Cam promotes the idea that the stigma once attached to exhibitionism and self-obsession is dated and obsolete, offering the frightening alternative message that being watched is a desirable social norm. Cam feels like a sci-fi thriller about a future dystopia in which any child with fake ID can broadcast live and nude from a bedroom and cater to sadomasochistic porn consumers. The trouble is the movie proves that future dystopia is already here.

The movie also suggests that compared to the extreme end -- snuff films and child porn -- a little self-display is perfectly respectable. In a post-shame world with easy access to cheap technology, everyone can imagine him or herself a star, admired by throngs, no matter how much self-degradation stardom requires. That Alice's mother actually supports her career choice may be the film's most alarming element. Without any other point of view provided by the director, Cam feels like an approving how-to manual on sexting for the masses. Parents may want to advise teens to steer clear.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what motivates people to become sex workers. Does Cam make a distinction between those who turn to such work out of desperation and others who willingly choose it? How do you think this movie wants sex workers to be viewed?

  • The movie has mature themes, like suicide and linking sex and violence. Who is the movie's intended audience? What is the movie saying about these themes?

  • Does the movie show consequences for the risky behavior on display? What would be the real-life consequences of participating in this type of behavior?

Movie Details

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