Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Online and offline threats, language, innuendo in docu.
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Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FANATICAL: THE CATFISHING OF TEGAN AND SARA details the online impersonation of Tegan, one half of the well-known identical twin sister band, which went on for years and involved many victims. The film interviews Tegan and Sara and details their rise to fame and the creation of their extensive fan community. More interviews with their managers, fans, victims of the fake Tegan ("Fegan") impersonations, a music journalist, and a social psychologist unpack the years of catfishing and its long-lasting implications.
Is It Any Good?
While this film will undoubtedly appeal first and foremost to the singers' fan base, there's enough commentary here about the online world we all inhabit to create a compelling cautionary tale. Where Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara shines is in its interviews with the singers themselves, who seem honest in their descriptions of the fears and dangers that ultimately come with fame and fixated fans.
Where the film lulls is in getting too deep into the weeds of the investigation about the catfishing, visualized through on-screen typing, a paper trail, and interviews, some by Zoom or phone. The director becomes part of the story herself. It would have been nice for them to have found closure—to the catfishing, to the investigation, and for their film. In lieu of that, the film settles on some larger messages about how our online lives can foster dehumanizing each other, how we could all be susceptible to online victimization, and how fan culture can be insatiable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the definition of "catfishing," the behavior under investigation in Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara. What is it, and what harms can it cause, based on victims' testimony here?
Why do you think Tegan repeats her reservations about making this movie more than once? Why do you think she ultimately went forward with it?
The film dedicates significant time to JT's story arc. Why?
What different tools are used to construct the story here? Which parts did you find most and least interesting or engaging, and why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 18, 2024
- Cast : Tegan Quin , Sara Quin
- Director : Erin Lee Carr
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Hulu
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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