Catfish

Nev Schulman, a young photographer in New York, receives a painting sent by Abby Pierce, a rural prodigy artist from Ishpeming, Michigan. What starts as a simple online exchange grows into a broader Facebook friendship that includes Abby's mother Angela, her husband Vince, and Abby's half-sister Megan. The interaction sets the premise for the documentary as Nev becomes drawn into this online world.

Abby's family members join the online circle, expanding the dynamic beyond a single artist to a small family unit. Angela, Vince, and Megan begin interacting with Nev and the filmmakers, widening the scope of the story. The family presence introduces opportunities for deception and narrative tension that drive the plot.

Ariel and Henry Joost film Nev as he develops a romantic online relationship with Megan, whom he believes to be a real young artist. The budding connection becomes the central focus of the documentary's early chapters. The line between truth and fabrication begins to blur as Nev's affection grows.

Megan sends Nev MP3s of song covers she performs, but Nev discovers that the recordings are lifted from performances on YouTube. The check reveals a pattern of deception underlying Megan's online persona. The viewer begins to question the authenticity of the entire relationship.

To confront Megan directly, Nev, Ariel, and Henry make an impromptu journey to Ishpeming and Gladstone, Michigan, where Abby's family lives. They hope to meet Megan in person and bring clarity to the situation. The real-world visit marks a turning point from online mystery to live confrontation.

Angela warmly welcomes Nev at the Pierces' house and reveals that she has begun chemotherapy for uterine cancer, adding emotional weight to the meeting. The reveal complicates Nev's feelings and injects a sense of vulnerability into the encounter. The moment raises questions about motive and truth.

Angela drives Nev and Ariel to Abby's location; she tells Nev privately that Abby hardly paints and never sees her sister, introducing doubt about Abby's art career. Nev begins to realize that not everything about Abby's world is genuine. The trip deepens the sense that the whole story may be manufactured.

The next morning, Nev receives a text from Megan saying she has an alcohol problem and has checked into rehab, preventing further meetups. A friend on Megan's Facebook account corroborates the rehab claim, but Nev suspects another layer of fabrication by Angela. The tension between truth and lie continues to mount.

Back at the family's home, Angela admits that Megan's pictures were of a family friend, that Abby's art career was fabrications, and that Angela herself painted all the paintings Nev had seen. Nev realizes the online persona was manufactured by Angela. The emotional stakes rise as the documentary reveals a broader personal motive.

Angela confesses that she maintained several Facebook profiles to reconnect with Nev and to revive her painting career, which Vince supports as a way to keep people engaged. The revelation reframes the entire online history and shows how digital roles can mask real artistic ambition. Nev begins to process the emotional aftermath of the deception.

Vince explains a metaphor about live cod and catfish being shipped in the same tanks to keep the fish active, using it to illustrate how people keep others alert and thinking. He hints that Angela may have been such a person in Nev's life. The metaphor serves as a narrative device to frame the deception as a social mechanism.

On-screen text reveals that Angela did not have cancer, there was no Megan, and the nine-month correspondence included more than 1,500 messages. The girl in the photographs is Aimee Gonzales, a model and photographer from Vancouver, Washington. The revelation ties together the online deception and real-world identity.

In October 2008, Ronald, one of Vince's twin sons, dies, adding tragedy to the family's history. Angela deactivates 15 other profiles and shifts to presenting herself as an artist online, cutting off the web of deception. Nev remains connected on Facebook, with a growing network of friends, including Angela.

Nev continues to use Facebook, maintaining more than 732 friends, including Angela, illustrating the lasting impact of the online interaction. The film closes by reflecting on how digital personas can shape real emotions and relationships. The timeline of the Catfish story ends with Nev contemplating what he has learned.