American Sweatshop (2025)
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Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A social media content moderator becomes obsessed with finding the perpetrator of a violent crime she witnesses online.
The story
Daisy Morris works as a social media content moderator at Paladin, where she is tasked with reviewing flagged content based on stringent guidelines. The workplace is characterized by rigid quotas, a dictatorial manager, and a high-stress environment that leaves employees prone to meltdowns. While attempting to maintain a normal routine despite the disturbing imagery she encounters, Daisy views a particularly damaging video of a violent crime. Despite being dismissed by her manager and the police, Daisy becomes obsessed with finding the man responsible and takes matters into her own hands to seek justice.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Daisy Morris works at Paladin as a social media content moderator, reviewing flagged content for an unnamed platform under a dictatorial manager, Joy Jones. The high-pressure environment, marked by rigid quotas and employee meltdowns, takes a toll on Daisy, who uses substances to numb the trauma of the disturbing imagery she views. After seeing a video of a violent, mechanized rape, Daisy becomes obsessed with finding the perpetrator, despite being told by authorities that the content is fake. She begins an internet-fueled investigation that leads to various dead ends. Her frustration eventually leads her to commit an act of violence against a bartender, Gus Delong, which allows her to sleep for the first time in a while. Shortly after, she tracks down the man from the video to enact justice. However, a video of her assaulting Gus is flagged on social media, making her realize she has become the very thing she fought against. She quits her job to begin healing and attends an interview at a healthcare firm. In the final moments, it is revealed that the interviewer is the man she was searching for. Daisy breaks the fourth wall, smiling at the camera in an ambiguous ending.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- Germany; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Uta Briesewitz
- Writers
- Matthew Nemeth · writer; Matthew Nemeth · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Lili Reinhart · Daisy Morris; Daniela Melchior · Ava Lopez; Jeremy Ang Jones · Paul Hui; Josh Whitehouse · Isaac; Tim Plester · Jeffrey Moore; Christiane Paul · Joy Jones; Joel Fry · Bob; Mark Ryder · Gus Delong
- Genres
- mystery; thriller
- Themes
- Social media impact; Trauma; Obsession; Justice
- Tone and mood
- Dark; Gritty; Suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- Mystery; Thriller; Social Media; Crime
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100
- Production trivia
- Uta Briesewitz made her feature directorial debut with American Sweatshop.; Lili Reinhart signed on for the film's lead role in May 2024.; Daniela Melchior joined the cast in a major supporting role in August 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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