‘LifeHack’ Movie Review [Fantasia 2025]: This High-Octane Heist Is Top-Tier Screenlife

Photo from Fantasia Film Festival

From Jeff Nelson

Much like found footage, screenlife films rewire storytelling by trapping us in the glow of device screens. From horror films Unfriended and Host to the suspenseful Missing and Searching, modern cinema is catching up to our chronically online society. Writer/director Ronan Corrigan harnesses the format to tell a nail-biting Gen Z heist story in LifeHack, and sticks the landing.

Gen Z’s digital fluency comes with its own set of dangers. Four online friends – Kyle (Georgie Farmer), Alex (Yasmin Finney), Sid (Roman Hayeck-Green), and Petey (James Vinh Scholz) – start as late-night gamers chatting over Discord, eventually using their niche talents (strategy, artistry, and coding) to scam the scammers for kicks. But when Kyle sets his sights on Elon Musk-like billionaire Don Heard (Charlie Creed-Miles) via his influencer daughter, Lindsey (Jessica Reynolds), the game changes.

Each team member has interests at stake: Kyle craves validation from his estranged father, who works abroad; Petey’s Ivy League dreams are crumbling under his financial restraints; Alex and Sid are drowning in their unfortunate home situations. Kyle especially feels inadequate compared to tech billionaires, who achieved their first world-altering success by the age of 19. So, when they hack Don’s cryptocurrency wallet, they’re sucked into a bigger heist than they bargained for. Suddenly, their futures are on the line.

The stakes escalate with every move, generating monumental tension. Their fun evaporates when consequences come knocking. Much of the anxiety comes from how convincing it all is. The hacking is more believable than typical Hollywood fare, and Corrigan’s clever screenplay nails Gen Z’s vernacular. Dialogue and slang feel authentic, not like an older writer’s forced imitation. When the stakes feel as real as they do here, the stress becomes palpable.

LifeHack isn’t all palm-sweating thrills. It balances comedy through screen-cluttering memes and their natural interactions. Jokes and tension flow naturally, thanks to a script that never sidelines its characters for the heist. The performances aren’t showy, but this cast succeeds in making their dynamics feel lived-in. You believe these friends have bonded over years of gaming, and some of their most serious conversations unravel while playing.

The computer-set POV isn’t for everyone, but LifeHack is a thrilling embodiment of what screenlife movies are capable of. It’s a nerve-shredding heist flick that prioritizes storytelling over gimmickry. Thanks to Corrigan and Sasha Kletsov’s razor-sharp editing and the richly drawn characters, this film rises above the others in this category. It’s a stunning feature debut, screenlife or not.

Rating: 4/5

LifeHack played at Fantasia 2025 on July 29th.

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