In February 2005 the world was changed forever. That was when YouTube came into the picture, when the internet was taken by storm and a new outlet was created for people around the world to develop content and reach millions of viewers. Writer-Director Alex Winter has observed something called The YouTube Effect, noticing that while YouTube creates the possibility for so many incredible things, it comes with its troubles as well. In this documentary, Winter, his crew, and some of the individuals most knowledgeable about YouTube take the stage, analyzing every nuance of the digital platform, both good and bad.
We all know Alex Winter as the dimwitted but lovable Bill from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and the other hilarious installments of the franchise. Winter, however, has flown under the radar for some time as the brilliant mind that has explored the troubles of the modern world. He’s recently been seen in films like this one and Showbiz Kids–and that’s a testament to who and what he is behind the scenes. He’s an advocate for positive change–and that’s something that allows The YouTube Effect to be so successful. He understands the world in ways that others can’t, and he is able to create films that appropriately and effectively deliver accessible narratives and allow viewers to look at the world in a different light.
A film called The Social Dilemma came out a few years ago, and it attempted to dive deep into the negatives that surround social media. What that film did was provide viewers with something of a silly narrative, one that didn’t quite allow viewers to dive fully into the nitty gritty of the social media world; The YouTube Effect does what that film couldn’t. Winter and his team do a spectacular job of expressing the severity of the internet and all that it provides, often extending itself past YouTube and into other, darker corners of the internet as well. Viewers are able to truly understand all that goes into the internet, and all of the things that the internet has done and will continue to do to and for the world.
Tonally Winter is able to create something that reverberates through whatever room you're watching The YouTube Effect. It’s quickly understood that this isn’t a film that will talk about how beneficial and fun YouTube can be, but rather it will be about the troubles that it has released into the world.
The YouTube Effect is daunting as a result of its content. The film forces viewers to look at the world through a microscope and see how we’ve regressed as a society, how we are failing ourselves and one another. It covers far more than just YouTube, and it really allows viewers the opportunity to look at themselves introspectively–effectively begging them to help make change. The film does a good job of remaining objective enough and including a broad range of interviewees so that everyone is able to appreciate what is being said. The YouTube Effect is what the world needs to hear. It’s not what we want to hear, but it’s what we need to hear–and it’s done in a way that I think everyone can appreciate.
Written & Directed by Alex Winter.
Starring Caleb Cain, Steve Chen, Hany Farid, Ryan Kaji, Shion Kaji, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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