Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

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Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

2025

1h 34m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

83%

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12 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A teenage girl and her boyfriend are viciously cyberbullied by an unknown phone number for months. But as the investigation into the harassment unfolds, the authorities uncover a shocking secret that upends everything anyone thought they knew about the case.

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Craig Mathieson

The Age (Australia)

While it lacks wider, illuminating detail about the insular community, the feature-length documentary’s participants are given not only a voice, but also the chance to consider what they were truly part of.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 11, 2025

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Alison Lanier

Pajiba

The people featured in the documentary remain profoundly human, rather than becoming characters.

Sep 24, 2025

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Jana Monji

Age of the Geek

Small towns can be comforting, but they can also be a horror story of sniping and pettiness. This documentary shows both sides and some uncomfortable truths about friends, family and social media.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 19, 2025

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Mattie Lucas

In Review Online

I can’t recall the last time a film felt so repulsive and spiritually evil.

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 6, 2025

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Brooke Obie

Black Girl Watching

This is a documentary about pedophilia and not even the documentarians seem to realize that. You’ll find a more compelling story about this tragedy in The Cut, which includes much of the missing context from this low-rent documentary.

Sep 6, 2025

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Johnny Loftus

Decider

It’s enjoyable to try and unravel Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, even as its mysterious texter’s harsh tone will start to make you queasy.

Sep 5, 2025

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Jenine A.

Unknown Number is an intriguing true-crime story with a shocking resolution—my jaw was on the floor by the end, and I was left simmering with frustrated disbelief long after the credits rolled. The documentary is executed with impressive precision, and it’s remarkable how much participation the filmmakers secured, including both the victims and the perpetrator. By presenting all sides of the story, it delivers a gripping, fully rounded account that’s as unsettling as it is fascinating.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/29/25

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Ann S

Just-terrible. Spoiler here-the “loving”, “concerned” mom-is the actual perpetrator? She sent messages to her own daughter telling her to kill herself? She sent disgusting messages to her daughter and boyfriend. And-she is portrayed as someone who had “past trauma -as if that somehow excuses her reprehensible behaviour? No-sorry-this one doesn’t fly for me. I feel like I just spent all this time allowing a sociopath to explain herself (deceptively). This one should never have been aired.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

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Aldis H

I was not bored and for that it gets one star. Otherwise, Netflix completely drops the ball on this one by making the heinous perp out to be a sympathetic character, and their terrifying manipulations in the interviews as some kind of reasonable explanation. At least that's how I read it. Ugh.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

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Jamie E

If you haven't already been exposed to spoilers - watch this documentary. Wow. Just.... wow! I did not see that coming.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/23/25

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Fahrima F

THE TWIST. Sickening and she has no remorse for it and tried to downplay it. Can’t believe she has no consequences other than jail for it cause her main victim forgave her. How can she live knowing she made her daughter and several other KIDS suicidal and told her own child to off herself.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/23/25

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Karen A

I wish I would not have poisoned my mind with this. I can’t believe that the vile mom was treat sympathetically by the person who interviewed her and the edit team included her ‘tragic victim back story’ excuse for emotionally abusing her daughter and the other children. There is no justification for any adult to behave this way.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/22/25

Full Review

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Skye Borgman

Director

Victoria Baxter

Student

Pierre Alexandre

Shawn

Vincent Corso

Athlete

Clinton Haddix

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Synopsis

A teenage girl and her boyfriend are viciously cyberbullied by an unknown phone number for months. But as the investigation into the harassment unfolds, the authorities uncover a shocking secret that upends everything anyone thought they knew about the case.

Director: Skye Borgman
Producer: Ross M. Dinerstein, Rebecca Evans
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Campfire Studios
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 29, 2025
Runtime: 1h 34m

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