We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set primarily in Casey's room, a dimly lit personal space that reflects her isolation and serves as her gateway to the digital world. The internet itself becomes a central location, functioning as both a connection to the outside world and a portal to unsettling experiences.

• setting
• casey's room
• internet
• digital world

The film takes place in a contemporary, modern setting. It reflects current issues around technology use and mental health, particularly among young people who increasingly rely on digital interactions, often leading to isolation and confusion.

• time period
• contemporary
• modern
• technology

The movie explores three major themes: isolation and how digital connection can both bridge and deepen loneliness; mental health and the deteriorating psychological state of the protagonist; and the blurred line between reality and fantasy as the protagonist questions what is authentic versus imagined.

• themes
• isolation
• mental health
• reality vs fantasy

Isolation is central to the story, as Casey experiences profound loneliness and seeks connection through digital mediums. The film highlights how technology can simultaneously connect and isolate individuals, showing Casey's detachment from reality as she becomes more consumed by the online challenge.

• isolation
• loneliness
• digital connection
• alienation

The film explores Casey's deteriorating mental health as she becomes increasingly consumed by the World's Fair challenge. Her experiences mirror real struggles with anxiety, identity, and the darker aspects of online engagement, making mental health a poignant and uncomfortable theme throughout.

• mental health
• anxiety
• psychological
• online engagement

The tension between reality and fantasy is crucial as Casey grapples with her experiences in the challenge. The film deliberately leaves viewers questioning what is authentic and what may be a product of her fractured psyche, creating a haunting inquiry into human perception and the reliability of our own minds.

• reality
• fantasy
• perception
• psychological ambiguity

Casey is a deeply introspective and lonely teenage girl portrayed by Anna Cobb. Her fascination with the World's Fair challenge leads her down a dark path. She embodies vulnerability and serves as the vehicle through which the film explores themes of isolation and the influence of digital worlds on mental health.

• casey
• protagonist
• teenager
• anna cobb

JLB is a mysterious figure who connects with Casey online, representing the complexities of digital relationships. His character embodies both the potential for mutual understanding and the tangible dangers that can lurk in digital spaces, adding an unsettling element to Casey's journey.

• jlb
• mysterious figure
• online relationship
• digital danger

The World's Fair challenge is a strange and unsettling online role-playing game that Casey discovers while spending late nights on the internet. It promises change and transformation but leads to increasingly surreal experiences that blur the line between digital and reality.

• world's fair challenge
• online game
• role playing
• digital game

The film has a deliberately slow pace, prioritizing atmospheric dread and character study over plot-driven events. Its dark tone focuses on disturbing implications of the online game and Casey's isolation. The narrative is thematically layered with intentional ambiguity, creating a creeping sense of anxiety throughout.

• tone
• style
• slow pacing
• atmospheric
• dark

The ending is intentionally ambiguous, leaving the nature of the characters' connection and experiences open to interpretation. This uncertainty reinforces the film's overarching theme of blurred lines between reality and digital identity, and it mirrors the psychological unease that defines Casey's journey.

• ending
• ambiguous
• interpretation
• conclusion