There’s a particular kind of violence that lives online: quiet, constant, and often dismissed as “just comments.” But for anyone who has ever built a life in public, the internet isn’t a backdrop. It’s a pressure chamber. That’s the territory explored in The Troll, a psychological horror-thriller set to celebrate its world premiere at the 34th Raindance Film Festival on 20 June. Selected as part of the festival’s Official Selection, the film arrives with an extra spotlight on its director and star, Brianna Lee, who has also been nominated for Best Performance in a Debut Feature.
.
At the centre of the story is Killa B, a TikTok superstar who thrives on the adoration of millions, until a single cruel comment cuts too deep. What begins as a moment of digital cruelty becomes something far more dangerous: obsession takes hold as she tracks down the anonymous troll, infiltrates his life, and destabilises his family. Her descent builds toward a confrontation that forces the audience to sit with an uncomfortable truth the psychological toll of living in the spotlight, where visibility can feel like power until it becomes a trap.
.
What makes The Troll feel timely isn’t just its premise it’s the way it mirrors the culture we’ve normalised. We live in an era where performance is rewarded, and imperfection is punished, where public identity is curated in real time, and where cruelty can be delivered instantly, anonymously, and without consequence. In Lee’s hands, that reality becomes cinematic: a thriller that doesn’t just entertain, but interrogates.
.
In her director’s note, Brianna Lee describes the film as born from a fascination with “the unseen violence of the internet.” As a performer, comedian, and filmmaker, she’s experienced online cruelty firsthand and The Troll is her exploration of what happens when that pressure finally breaks someone. Killa B, glamorous and at the height of fame, embodies that breaking point as obsession, cyberbullying, and the relentless demand for perfection corrode her sense of self.
Drawing inspiration from psychological thrillers like Black Swan and Ingrid Goes West, the film blends dreamlike visuals with raw, unsettling performances to examine identity, power, fame, and mental health in the digital age. Deeply personal yet satirical, The Troll reflects Lee’s own experiences online while holding up a mirror to a culture that treats attention like currency and expects people to bleed for it.
.
The film features a cast that brings weight and range to its psychological intensity, including Brianna Lee (The Professional, A Sea Cliff Story), Katy Frame (Men in Black 3, What Now?), Greg Saridakis, Alena Acker (And Just Like That, Law & Order), Matthew Eyre (Slow Down), Richard Mark Jordan (Tires, The Chair Company), Jake Lesh (The Camper, Made of Stars), and Dominick Cost (Tomorrow’s Bandits).
.
With its Raindance world premiere, The Troll steps into a festival known for championing bold, independent voices, and Lee’s voice feels particularly urgent right now. This is a film that asks what happens when the internet’s cruelty stops being background noise and starts shaping the way a person sees themselves, their worth, and their reality.
Because sometimes the most terrifying thing isn’t what’s lurking in the dark. Sometimes it’s what’s waiting in your notifications.
.
Image provided, courtesy of Strike Media
(Visited 7 times, 4 visits today)
About Author
