Unknown Number: The High School Catfish (2025) is a US true-crime documentary. It is directed by Skye Borgman. The film follows a teen couple targeted by a relentless anonymous number in small-town Michigan.
Interviews and case materials drive the story, without a scripted cast. It premieres on Netflix on August 29, 2025. Official rating is TV-MA. Content includes vulgar, taunting messages and disturbing harassment themes.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish Age Rating
Official rating: TV-MA on Netflix. The case involves explicit, harassing messages and intense real-world distress.
Violence & Peril
Level: Moderate (psychological).
No on-screen physical violence. Persistent cyberbullying, threats, and investigative tension create fear and anxiety. The small community response and law-enforcement involvement add stakes.
Language
Level: Strong.
Vulgar and taunting texts are central, with explicit wording quoted or paraphrased in accounts. Expect repeated coarse language in messages and interviews recounting them.
Mature Themes
Topics: Cyberbullying, harassment, digital safety, community suspicion, and emotional harm to teens. No sexual nudity, but sexualized or explicit phrasing appears within the texts. Law enforcement and school responses are discussed.
Is Unknown Number: The High School Catfish Suitable for Teens?
Ages 10–12: No. The harassment details and intense tone are too mature.
Ages 13–15: With Guidance. Content can be upsetting; watch only with context and discussion.
Ages 16–17: Yes, With Guidance. Mature older teens can handle it with a talk about online safety.
Final recommendation: Best for ages 16+ with parental support.
What Parents Can Do
Prep for intensity: Explain cyberbullying, swatting, and text-based harassment before viewing; agree on a pause/skip plan.
Discuss digital safety: Talk blocking/reporting, preserving evidence, and how to seek help at school or from police.
Decompress after: Ask how the film made them feel and review your family’s online boundaries and privacy settings.
Official Trailer
FAQs
Q: What is the official age rating?
A: TV-MA on Netflix, reflecting mature language and disturbing harassment themes.
Q: Is Unknown Number: The High School Catfish appropriate for teens?
A: Generally for older teens (16+) with guidance, due to intense real-life subject matter.
Q: How violent or scary is it?
A: No graphic violence, but sustained psychological peril and community-wide fear make it intense.
Q: Does it include profanity or slurs?
A: Expect vulgar, taunting language in the texts at the centre of the case.
Q: Any sexual content or nudity?
A: No on-screen nudity. Some sexualized wording appears within the harassing messages.
Q: Where can I watch Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, and when?
A: Streaming on Netflix starting August 29, 2025. Runtime is about 1h 34m.