When The Mob Came
Co-directed by Andrew Peloso and Caylan Ford, this feature documentary delves into the complex phenomenon of “cancel culture.” Through personal testimony and an unflinching look at public shaming, de-platforming campaigns, and the motivations behind them, the film questions whether these tactics serve as necessary tools for social justice or symptomatic of a creeping proto-totalitarianism. At its core, it examines how people navigate—and sometimes weaponize—moral outrage to shape reputations, highlighting the consequences for those who find themselves in the crosshairs.
In her third and, as she hopes, final documentary film, Caylan Ford turns the camera on her own life and experience of cancellation. Exploring media credulity, political maneuvering, and personal betrayal, the story exposes a deep struggle for meaning and belief in the unseen. Alongside the failings and triumphs of friendship, it reveals the toll that public humiliation can take on an individual’s spirit—and the extraordinary resilience it can inspire.
Woven throughout this narrative is a re-litigation of Plato’s Gorgias dialogue, putting Socrates’ claim to the test: “to do injustice is more to be avoided than to suffer injustice, and that the reality and not the appearance of virtue is to be followed above all things.” By challenging viewers to consider the line between accountability and cruelty, the film invites a profound reflection on how society doles out punishment, the cost of moral certainty, and the grace it takes to rebuild in the aftermath.
