American Sweatshop

Daisy Moriarty works as a social media content moderator, reviewing flagged posts against a strict set of guidelines on an unnamed platform. The office environment is fraught: tight quotas, a dictatorial manager, panic attacks and employee meltdowns, and an unsettling alligator lurking in a man-made pond.

She tries to maintain a semblance of normalcy — using sex, drugs, and alcohol to numb the routine. But constant exposure to disturbing imagery corrodes her sense of well-being: she struggles to sleep, finds it hard to connect with peers, and grows increasingly isolated.

Then she encounters a post that is especially damaging. The video itself is never shown, but flashes of footage and subsequent discussions imply it contains a violent, mechanized rape.

Haunted by what she saw, she becomes obsessed with holding someone accountable. Yet her boss and the police dismiss her concerns, saying the content is fake or outside their remit. Undeterred, she uses the internet to track down the man from the video, embarking on a quest with little evidence and no detective training.

With little real evidence and no detective skills, her pursuit leads to a string of dead ends and wild goose chases. Her investigation pushes her to the edge, forcing her to confront the grim reality of what exists online. Her mounting frustration boils over in violence: she assaults a crude bartender, her hands stained with blood, and finally manages to sleep. Shortly after, a coworker provides the name of the man she’s been pursuing, and she prepares to enact justice.

Yet a video surfaces of Daisy assaulting the bartender, reminding her that she has become the very thing she sought to stop. She quits her job and begins to heal, going to an interview for a coveted position at a healthcare firm. In the final moments, it’s revealed the person interviewing her is actually the man she has been searching for. She turns to the camera — breaking the fourth wall — and offers a smile, leaving the ending ambiguous.

Behind her, the office’s lurking alligator reappears, slinking into frame and suggesting that retribution may come, even if it takes a darker turn.

Last Updated: January 06, 2026 at 10:49