‘Unknown Number: The High School Catfish’ (2025) Netflix Review - A Must-Watch Documentary

This was one of the best documentaries I have watched so far. It’s so well made, and I love the fact that people stepped up to tell us the truth. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish follows the story of Owen and Lauryn, two high school students who were dating. Their social media profiles were filled with stories of each other. To people, they were a perfect couple. One day, in early 2021, Lauryn received a message from an anonymous number stating that Owen didn’t like her. Both teenagers tried to find out on their own levels by asking friends at school. But they found no success. After a point in time, these messages just increased and became so horrid that the sender was asking Lauryn to kill her. There were also abusive and explicit messages, which no child should be subjected to.  In order to tackle the issue, the matter soon reached the FBI, and a full investigation took place to find the sender. In the middle of all, a girl named Khloe Wilson was dragged into all this and was also believed to be a sender of these messages. This happened because she invited Owen and not Lauryn to her Halloween party. However, investigations soon cleared the air around Khloe Wilson. And of course, what happens shocks us all. Most importantly, when you find out who the real person is behind those messages, you will have a hard time digesting it.

To be honest, this documentary doesn’t shy away from showing the stories of every party involved. Be it Khloe Wilson, Owen, Lauryn, her parents, Owen’s parents, Khloe Wilson’s parents, and the investigators. They all step forward to tell us what actually happened. Even Lauryn’s mother, Kendra Licari, comes up to tell her side. You do feel pity and sadness for Lauryn. She is a good girl. Even after all that happened to her, which was done by someone so close to her, she still wishes to maintain the relationship. This requires a great deal of maturity and an undying love for familial bonds.  Lauryn’s maturity will amaze anyone who watches the film. You will also have a great deal of respect for her father, who has now become even closer to her. Lauryn and Owen coming forward to tell their story is something that requires courage. Because by doing this, they are sort of reliving the trauma that they underwent.

This documentary doesn’t shy away from showing the bad side of the internet and social media. In fact, it starts with the same. And the suspense that the makers build is what makes it so intriguing to watch. Until they reveal the truth, you will just keep on guessing who the person is who is bullying these children.  So you keep on going back and forth. They have also depicted child abuse emotionally. At the end of it, the makers, post showing each party’s side of the plot, indirectly want to ponder over: why did this happen to these kids? Did they deserve all this? Are all these lies necessary? And most importantly, why would someone so close to Lauryn do such a gross thing to her?
What also goes in its favor is the screenplay. Having a story in hand is one thing, but making something so meaningful and informative out of it is another thing. The makers have done a great job of bringing to us a story so sensational and so controversial in a very unbiased manner. For sure, this is a great watch.

Final Score- [9/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times