“American Sweatshop,” the latest bone-chiller from director Uta Briesewitz, thrusts into the limelight a profession not often explored in films. The leading lady of the film, Daisy Moriarity, is brought to life by Lili Reinhart, who exposes the eerie shadows lurking behind your favourite online platform.

As a hard-working content moderator, Daisy is tasked with green-lighting or banning flagged videos from the web. Inundated with grim video thumbnails, the aftershock of what she witnesses begins to shatter her sanity. She doesn't have to watch the whole video - just a snapshot can send shivers down the spine, like the unforgettable "Fetus in blender."

The film subtly builds suspense by withholding the actual footage from audiences, focusing more on the reactions of the players and the transformative impact this ghoulish work has on their psyche. Think “Blow Out” meets “Red Rooms” vibes.

In one emotionally jarring scene, Daisy and her peers venture out of their workspace and into a bar, attempting to make small talk. But the eerie silence prompts conversations to veer towards the macabre videos they encounter at work, leading to a parade of disturbing anecdotes. Amidst the banter, Daisy confesses her inability to shake off the impact of a video named “Nailed It”, and it ultimately becomes the catalyst for her unrelenting quest for justice.

The unsettling job gave Reinhart a chance not only to highlight a mostly unsung profession but also to reflect upon the havoc social media can wreak in our lives. “People like Daisy, who are content moderators, really are the first responders of the Internet. It’s a horrifying job to see humanity’s worst right before your very eyes and then go home at the end of the day,” Reinhart muses.

In a conversation with RogerEbert.com, Reinhart unpacks how “American Sweatshop” helped reframe her perspective of social media, and reveals the surprising kinship she found between this disquieting film and two Pixar animations.

Reinhart was innately drawn towards Daisy’s character due to the rollercoaster of emotions and reactions she had to portray, all without realistic gore for guidance. The ever-present “Approve” and “Decline” buttons on her screen, along with chilling video captions helped her envision the ghastly scenes. Reinhart boldly faced a blank screen, imagining the horrifying content Daisy would be watching in the scene featuring the “Nailed It” video.

From her professional stints to launching a skincare line, Reinhart’s artistry keeps the balance between the digital domain and the real world. She is unswerving in the belief that some things in life, like her poetry, do not have to serve a purpose- they can simply exist for pure joy.

Reinhart draws attention to the ubiquity of digital distractions, hypothesizing about the need for society to refocus on the world around it. Inspired by the memorable scene from “WALL-E,” where the Captain becomes aware of his surroundings, Reinhart emphasizes mindfulness and encourages us to distance from continual virtual engagement.

Endowing “American Sweatshop” with an all-consuming performance, Reinhart helps viewers step into the daunting shoes of content moderators, our unsung digital heroes. The film is currently being screened in selected theaters and will hit VOD on September 19th.