The online world can easily spill into the real world, often leading to tragic consequences and unforeseen dilemmas. Every day, stories of cyber-bullying, 'catfishing', and identity theft, lift random, obscure people into the glare of the viral news cycle. This happens so often, we become immune to them, quickly forgotten in the clutter. Disconnect is an inspired parable of this age. Nothing about the characters is extraordinary. But what happens to them, and how they react, is powerfully engrossing. Screenwriter Andrew Stern and Director Henry Alex Rubin deliver one of the most honest assessments of the internet, and its affect on humanity; that I have seen.

Disconnect revolves around three separate stories that inevitably weave together. Ben (John Bobo) is a musically gifted, withdrawn fifteen year old, who is completely alien to his lawyer father (Jason Bateman). He's the perfect target for Jason (Colin Ford) and Frye (Aviad Bernstein), mischievous classmates who decide to make a fake Facebook page of a pretty girl; and have a little fun at Ben's expense. Derek (Alexander Skarsgard) and Cindy (Paula Patton) have recently lost a baby. Cindy decides to share her grief in internet chat rooms because she can no longer relate to her husband. Her refuge becomes a nightmare as her online friend steals their identity and leaves them bankrupt. Nina (Andrea Riseborough) is a plucky reporter looking for a big story. She decides to seek out a young runaway, Kyle (Max Theriot), who is a sex performer on a live cam. Nina dreams of a big expose, uncovering the seedy world of underage runaways in the internet sex trade. What starts innocently enough as harmless online endeavors, escalate into life altering events for the characters and their surroundings.

Disconnect builds like a slow boil. The film begins with nominal tension, disaffected youth, marital problems, over-ambition. But as the online interactions gain traction, the hint of the train wreck coming starts to creep over the audience. Andrew Stern's script is remarkable in its portrayal of normalcy, then its equal portrayal of how fraudulent that normal life was to begin with. The characters learn that their everyday existence was spectacularly flawed. The internet escapades were essentially spotlights that turned the glare back on them. And what it shows them is as disturbing as the situations unfolding. This is highly lucid writing from Stern. His script manages to be extremely introspective without being preachy or boring.

Henry Alex Rubin cut his teeth as a doc*mentarian (Murderball) and second unit director. Disconnect is a spectacular fiction debut. Along with cinematographer Ken Seng, they make several stylistic choices to depict the online world. You see the characters in full frame, front and center, as they chat online, their typed dialogue popping up beside them. But this singular focus is turned around in real life. It's quickly evident that the only personal time they're getting is from the faceless person on the other end of the computer. The tragedy is the belief that they are making a heartfelt connection, when in reality it is only manipulation. It's akin to having your favorite hiding place, where every little dirty secret is buried, uncovered shamelessly. Rubin was quoted as describing Disconnect as a "humble" film. I believe he hit upon the perfect adjective to describe his work. While it does stray into dark and foreboding territory, the plot and characters are very common. What happens in Disconnect can easily happen to anyone. And it does, every day. The cast is wonderful here as well, but I do give the lion's share of the finished product to the filmmakers and their fantastic staging of the script.

Disconnect is a great reflection of this moment in time. The internet has truly invaded every part of life and is embraced by our techno-lust society. Seeking solace in a machine underscores the fact that human nature in the virtual world can be more insipid. The dangers faced are real. Anyone willing to commit themselves to purely online relationships should definitely watch this film and take heed. Disconnect is the first sleeper hit of the year. Get your online tickets for this one.