American Sweatshop Parent Guide

Daisy (Lili Reinhart) works for a company called Paladin, which employs people to review flagged internet videos and determine if they violate the platform’s terms of use and should be deleted. These videos range from hate speech to extreme violence and sexual content. The psychological toll of the job becomes apparent through the actions of a colleague, Bob (Joel Fry), whose frequent outbursts suggest deep emotional distress.

When Daisy comes across an especially disturbing video, she faints from the trauma and briefly ends up in the hospital. Despite this, she returns to work almost immediately, driven by mounting medical bills and the lack of health care support at her job. However, the video continues to haunt her. She suffers from flashbacks and nightmares, unable to move past the horrors she saw. When she tells her boss, Joy (Christiane Paul) that she wants to report the video to the police, she is told it’s “probably not real,” and reporting it would jeopardize Paladin’s relationship with the parent company. As a result, Daisy makes it her mission to hold the individuals in the video accountable and seek justice for the victim.

While the concept and messaging of American Sweatshop hold a lot of promise, the execution falls short. But before I look at the film’s flaws, I can attest that it isn’t without merit. It serves as a poignant commentary on the costs of our constant media consumption. It demonstrates the conditions of those who bear the emotional and psychological burden of filtering violent and disturbing content and critiques the capitalist system that prioritizes profit over human well-being, despite the brutality of the consequences. Unfortunately, although the script makes astute observations, this production lacks the execution to back it up. Although it’s boosted by an engaging premise and incredible performances, the film’s plot sadly fails to delve deep enough into the core of the issues it addresses, leading to a shallow and unsatisfactory resolution.

Given the film’s subject matter, negative content is to be expected, although viewers are exposed to constant disturbing implications through video titles, audio and brief video snippets rather than explicit depictions. In this way, American Sweatshop largely practices what it preaches, avoiding the depiction of excessive violent or sexual content.

About author

Alisha Bagshaw

Alisha Bagshaw is completing her BCST in Child and Youth Care Counselling and is working toward a career in psychology and policy advocacy. She enjoys reading, watching movies, and subjecting her husband and friends to in-depth (and usually unsolicited) synopses and thematic analysis.