Mainstream(2020); Your Phone or Your Dignity
Inaya Parker
October 7, 2022
To quote Harvey Dent from The Dark Knight, “You either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Gia Coppola’s 2021 release, Mainstream (2020), starring Maya Hawke, Andrew Garfield and Nat Wolff, illustrates that idea and a flamboyant commentary on social media and influencer culture. Except there are no heroes, just the ambitious few and an enigmatic stranger who just doesn’t know when to quit.
This comedy follows Maya Hawke as Frankie as she is on the prowl for a break into internet fame. One fateful day she meets Link, played by Andrew Garfield, and films him as he delivers an eccentric monologue in the mall courtyard dressed as a giant rat. The video becomes the most popular on Frankie’s Youtube channel and she instantly befriends Link with him in mind as her ticket to fame.
Joining forces with Frankie’s friend and coworker Jake, played by Nat Wolff, the trio creates a Youtube video satirizing vapid online entertainers with Link as the face of the project, No One Special. Their new project is an instant success and with the help of their new manager, they cycle it into a game show titled ‘Your Phone or Your Dignity.’ Montaged to the hyper pop track “Kill v Maim” by Grimes, No One Special humiliates various participants on the show to demonstrate how far one will go over their attachment to their phones and social media.
Link eventually goes too far with his public humiliation routine, quickly turning his satirical character into a cynical projection of his anti-establishment views. The initial purpose of the character was to be a commentary on internet culture and becomes a villainous display of toxic positivity. Making a mockery of those who indulge and telling them their lives are not worth living if they can’t be comfortable without the validation of others. Practically forcing viewers to hate and reject social media along with him.
The movie tries to be an unhinged, self-aware comedy, but it is just crazy enough that the hinges are still on. It’s a bizarre display of ideas constantly discussed; How does social media affect our perception of ourselves and how far will influencers go in the name of entertainment online engagements?
In the movie, Link starts out as a mysterious stranger who takes pride in not owning a cell phone and disdains their supposed control over people. After a taste of virality, he becomes the very thing he portrayed himself as the antithesis of.
It starts off feeling like a silly movie but hastily takes a turn for drama as Link goes off the rails. Sometimes things are mentioned or shown that seemingly add little to nothing to the plot, so it catches you off guard for a moment. The over-the-top, intentionally bad video edits and effects that accentuate the scenes feel more like a fever dream as the story becomes more hysterical.
They can sometimes be distracting but are meant to make you feel like you’re living on the internet. Apart from the contradictory themes and the ambiguous ending, it is a good and compelling film that deserves to be watched at least once.
If you find yourself scrolling through every streaming service you have your friend’s password to, check out Mainstream rather than landing on that sitcom you’ve probably watched seven or more times. It’s an easy-to-watch comedy with an objectively good cast and is available on Showtime and Paramount+.