Netflix has a talent for taking stories that feel straight out of a suspense film and bringing them to our screens—and this time, they’ve done it again with Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, a documentary that dives into one of the issues most concerning to today’s teens and parents: online harassment.
The story is so dark and twisted that it’s hard to believe it really happened. From the very first minute, the documentary pulls you in because there are no actors or scripted scenes. Instead, the real people involved—students, parents, teachers, and even authorities—recount how an “unknown number” spiraled into a case that eventually landed in the hands of the FBI.
What Is ‘Unknown Number’ About?
It all began in October 2020, when 13-year-old Lauryn went with her boyfriend Owen to a Halloween party in Beal City, United States. That same night, they started receiving messages from an unknown number. At first, it seemed like a prank. But within days, the tone shifted drastically: insults, threats, and even sexual content began flooding in constantly.
The situation escalated so quickly that it no longer affected only Lauryn and Owen—soon the entire school was dragged into it. Teachers, parents, and even local authorities had to step in because the harassment was impossible to ignore. For a full year, families tried to uncover the identity of the person hiding behind the screen. Interrogations were carried out, Lauryn’s classmates were questioned, but nobody seemed to have answers. What no one could have imagined was that the culprit would turn out to be one of the people closest to the teens.
Everything we see and hear in the documentary is 100% real. The testimonies from those involved and the actual text messages show just how serious the case was. This story is just one of many examples of the dangers of cyberbullying—and it’s a reminder that violence can also come through a screen.
Trailer: ‘Unknown Number: the High School Catfish’
