Millennialism, loneliness, and social media in ‘Ingrid Goes West’

Social media is an unprecedented vehicle for people to connect with one another from across the globe. Fact of the matter is, its advent has led to the insurgence of some interesting phenomena. From people acting under the guise of trolls, to literal edgelords threatening to slit their own wrists, the internet has become a safe haven for people to vent out their frustrations under the protection of anonymity. The idea that anonymity is a thing on these platforms, only makes matters worse, as people from all sorts of backgrounds hide themselves behind an avatar (some of which would include an anime character of some sort) to plot their next move, while disguising their identity in the heat of battle.

Having taken a glance at the poster and its synopsis, one would have guessed that the film is under some sort of identity crisis. It looks like your standard chick flick along the lines of ‘Mean Girls’ and so forth, but in truth, the film presents itself as being something else. One of the biggest highlights in Ingrid Goes West is its social commentary on how we humans make use of platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (and I guess WordPress counts too at this point). One could almost say, it’s a satire on millennialism. For one, the film highlights how many of our societal trends have seeped into the very core of these platforms. From people posting pictures of their food, to taking selfies with their dog, to even fetishizing avocados, to even throwing in hashtags and emojis in pretty much every sentence, Ingrid Goes West feels like a mockery of the very society we live in now. And much of that satire is shown via its effects on social media. “Good luck getting anybody to like you online, if you don’t follow any of these trends,” is the message the film seems to portray to us.

Damn, I wish I was that successful

The debilitating circumstances that arise out of social media for those experiencing loneliness are also explored. This is particularly true with regards to the real world. Many people like that seek solace in social media platforms because of their inability to communicate with others outside, therefore flocking to these sites for a chance to build up a new network of friends. Sometimes they’ll post pictures for attention on sites like Twitter or Pininterest, or seek their source of news on Reddit on 4chan (rather than a newspaper or the tele), or even blog about their experiences in an attempt to grab those few minutes of fame on blogging sites like WordPress (I swear this is not why I entered the blogging scene). Multiplayer games and MMOs further connect with introverts and social recluses, as players can craft not only their own persona, but also their very own avatar. With that avatar, they can build it up with skill points, complete quests to earn rewards, fashion their very own dwelling for it to reside in and so forth. They then take said avatar for a spin in the virtual world, immersing themselves with the stunning 3D environments and using it as a form of escapism from their boring, mundane lives. The internet and social media in general, allows people to assume a new identity, one that keeps their introverted and socially awkward nature a secret. Because of this, they gain far greater acceptance in the virtual world than in the real one. They can even get away with acting like complete idiots, or racist fucks, without getting compensated for in the real world, because no one knows who they truly are (even if they did, they must have done something to royally piss off that guy so much to get to that point where he’d start scanning the perpetrator’s IP addresses).

This film is still a goldmine for great shots like this

This brings us to our protagonist. Ingrid isn’t portrayed as a good person like most other protagonists are. She’s a liar, a thief, and a narcissist who stalks social media profiles in an obsessive attempt to befriend somebody and involve herself in their lives. She’s kind of like Kathy Bates’ character from the movie ‘Misery,’ though in Ingrid’s case, she isn’t as psychopathic. Starting off as a rather lonely, mentally unstable and isolated individual, she strives for a sense of longing in the world. Her introductory segment establishes her character perfectly, showing her browsing through a profile on Instagram, tears welling in her eyes as she finds her newfound blogger friend celebrating at a party. She then goes to the party anyways, where she approaches the owner of that profile and peppersprays her in the eyes, shouting expletives while doing so. Her reason? Because she wasn’t invited to that very party. To her, that person betrayed her trust.

When you try to copy your idol in a nutshell

Hence why, in the very beginning of the film, Ingrid decides to follow another person on Instagram, Taylor, while adopting her own persona in the process. Elizabeth Olsen’s character has a particularly huge presence on Instagram and a plethora of devoted followers, which entices Ingrid. It also further helps that Taylor appears to believe in “making friends with people all over the world.” We then see snippets of Taylor’s life shown through her Instagram posts, from her various outings, to her own wedding ceremony. As a result, Ingrid finds her drawn into Taylor’s socially active and carefree lifestyle, so much so that Ingrid decides to abandon her old life and sets off into California to get acquainted with her. Throughout the first portion of the film, she stalks her “idol” without her even taking any notice. Every meal Taylor dines on, every clothes she wears, every book she reads, Ingrid will try to imitate. She even feasts herself on some avocado toast, even as the taste nearly causes her to gag. Shes trying to do everything she can to get her on good standings with Taylor, including trying to follow every single one of her lifestyle choices. When desperate times calls for desperate measures, she even kidnaps Taylor’s dog, only to later pose as its savior and return it to her.

Even motivational posters make an appearance here.

It is because of this that Ingrid Goes West functions more as a dark comedy than anything else. Despite portrayed in a rather tongue in cheek tone, a lot of what Ingrid does is quite heinous, and it’s all done to acquaint herself into Taylor’s own personal life. Due to her self-centered nature, she has no considerations for the consequences that would have resulted because of all her actions. It is because of this that I find most people will be unable to sympathize with her. But I don’t believe that’s the film’s intentions; what we are supposed to do is just to understand her situation. Ingrid may be manipulative and callous, but she’s also lonely. She spent most of her life in a group home and at her old dwelling, with barely any social interactions for her to bask in. And after witnessing how perfect and lush Taylor’s life feels, can we really blame her for acting in such a manner? People like Ingrid don’t do these things for no reason, they do it because of their almost hopeless situations. People out there in her home town, know exactly what Ingrid did at the party. Supermarket trips are painful for her because certain customers there are seen gossiping about her actions. According to her, shes been rejected from society.

Show off…

While social media is definitely a wondrous vehicle for allowing us to express our desires and build relationships, this film also reveals that it can bring out the worse in us. It can meld us into these obsessive, narcissistic, and dishonest individuals, who rely on the platform as their only means of communication. For Ingrid, it was a tool that allowed her to kickstart her life anew, abandoning her old one in the process. But it also rekindled an underlying obsessive state of mind within her, the longing for a friend, and this also led to her pulling off what many would consider immoral. To her, the sense of anonymity that social media and the internet in general can provide, allowed her to strip her old life away. It gave her the chance to adopt a new persona and adhere to various millennial trends as a way for her to find acceptance in this cruel, heartless world. She idolizes Taylor because her profile has pictures that emphasize how different her life is compared to Ingrid’s, Everything about her after that point has been a lie.

So, if you’re looking for a satirical piece on millennial culture and social media in general, then give this film a try. It’s almost hard to imagine that I wrote an entire essay, and none of it was for college credit! So, seeing as nobody knows who I truly am on this site (apart from a select number of people), I’d personally just like to take the moment to say that I loathe avocados and think they taste like the equivalent of dog shit. Fuck avocado toast, all hail the glorious peanut butter!

Dem yuri undertones

Now do you see what I can do under the guise of a persona?

P.S: I guess Nutella is a close second, but its not particularly healthy.

P.S.S: I tried to avoid spoilers as much as possible in this analysis, mainly because the film is so underrated that I really want people to watch it.