At a middle school in Italy, a group of students that appear to be pretty close, become victims of a cyberbullying joke by one of their peers, Giuliana. Giuliana hires a hacker who ends up posting private photos and videos of every student in the group.
The idea of a friend hacking one's phone as a joke is interesting, and the issue of cybersecurity is definitely a serious contemporary issue that kids tend to not pay a lot of attention to. Although the story development is pretty predictable, the theme is current and, as an audience, you want to see how it rolls out. Good camera work for the most part, although the club scene is poorly lit. In the beginning, the ground level shot captures many kids walking down the street, with the camera at knee level, we observe everyone staring at their phones while they walk, not paying any attention to the environment around them. I like how the angles are used to show that. It is about any kid, anyone and everyone. I also like the shot where the computer coding is projected on the face of Giuliana and found that pretty creative. The location in Italy is cool, but this story could have taken place in almost any place with a school building. The dialogue is in Italian with English subtitles, so be prepared for that. We get a very cursory overview of what Italy looks like and how these Italian teens behave, but I feel that it looks very authentic. The eerie, suspenseful music adds to the story, especially in the beginning when the hacker takes Chiara's phone - it makes the scene a lot more intriguing. I enjoyed the background music, especially in the opening scene. At one point in the film, when all the kids get notifications on their phones to meet, the whistle notification sound almost seems to sync with the soundtrack, which is very cool. Laura (Adele Maretti) stands out in her role and makes you believe in her character. My favorite part is when they all come together to try and find the hacker and resolve everything. It shows teamwork and good fellowship.
The film addresses a serious contemporary issue about cyberhacking that is a warning for young people to be careful who you share information with online and to protect your security on your phone and digital devices. You should be aware that there is a scene with teen drinking at the beginning of the film and one girl gets so sick she vomits.
I give Traceback 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Neo M. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
At a middle school in Italy, a group of students that appear to be pretty close, become victims of a cyberbullying joke by one of their peers, Giuliana. Giuliana hires a hacker who ends up posting private photos and videos of every student in the group.
The idea of a friend hacking one's phone as a joke is interesting, and the issue of cybersecurity is definitely a serious contemporary issue that kids tend to not pay a lot of attention to. Although the story development is pretty predictable, the theme is current and, as an audience, you want to see how it rolls out. Good camera work for the most part, although the club scene is poorly lit. In the beginning, the ground level shot captures many kids walking down the street, with the camera at knee level, we observe everyone staring at their phones while they walk, not paying any attention to the environment around them. I like how the angles are used to show that. It is about any kid, anyone and everyone. I also like the shot where the computer coding is projected on the face of Giuliana and found that pretty creative. The location in Italy is cool, but this story could have taken place in almost any place with a school building. The dialogue is in Italian with English subtitles, so be prepared for that. We get a very cursory overview of what Italy looks like and how these Italian teens behave, but I feel that it looks very authentic. The eerie, suspenseful music adds to the story, especially in the beginning when the hacker takes Chiara's phone - it makes the scene a lot more intriguing. I enjoyed the background music, especially in the opening scene. At one point in the film, when all the kids get notifications on their phones to meet, the whistle notification sound almost seems to sync with the soundtrack, which is very cool. Laura (Adele Maretti) stands out in her role and makes you believe in her character. My favorite part is when they all come together to try and find the hacker and resolve everything. It shows teamwork and good fellowship.
The film addresses a serious contemporary issue about cyberhacking that is a warning for young people to be careful who you share information with online and to protect your security on your phone and digital devices. You should be aware that there is a scene with teen drinking at the beginning of the film and one girl gets so sick she vomits.
I give Traceback 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Neo M. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
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