‘Molly Vs The Machines’: Doc About Molly Russell Tragedy & The Battle For Social Media Reform Gets UK Distribution Deal, Watch First Teaser
EXCLUSIVE: Molly Vs The Machines, the documentary about British teen Molly Russell and the negative effects of online content, has gained UK distribution via Glasgow-based Cosmic Cat.
Due for theatrical release next year, the film will tell the story of Ian Russell and his battle for safer online environments and accountability from the tech giants after he lost his 14 year-old daughter Molly after she was exposed to extensive self-harm content on social media. Above is a first teaser for the film.
Directed by two-time Sundance winner and Emmy-nominee Marc Silver (3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets), and produced by Kat Mansoor for Snowstorm Productions and Natalie Humphreys for Storyboard Studios, the doc was developed in collaboration with the Russell family. We understand the film is on course to debut at an international festival early next year.
Molly Russell was found dead in the bedroom of her London family home on the morning of November 21, 2017. Neither her family, friends or teachers could initially explain why she had taken her own life. Over five traumatic years, Ian Russell, Molly’s father, and lawyer Merry Varney, worked to uncover how the negative effects of online content had led to her death.
A UK coroner concluded that the images of self-harm and suicide Russell viewed “shouldn’t have been available for a child to see.” The case sparked national headlines and led to Prince William calling for more online safety measures. The UK government subsequently introduced legislation regarding online safety, which remains a key issue for families and governments globally amid the rise and rise of social media and online sharing platforms. Australia this week has become the first country to ban social media platforms for those under the age of 16.
Pic is co-written by Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. Backers include Channel 4, Luminate, Screen Scotland, Empathy AI, Placeholder Films, The Filmmaker Fund, Doc Society and Ford Foundation JustFilms.
Cosmic Cat’s recent releases include The Last Musician of Auschwitz, From Ground Zero: Stories from Gaza, Cassius X: Becoming Ali and Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands.
Ged Fitzsimmons, Managing Director of Cosmic Cat, said: “Since our founding in 2016, Cosmic Cat has proudly championed urgent social impact stories. From national campaigns for Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake to From Ground Zero, an urgent cry for humanity in Gaza, our titles empower people to call out and challenge injustice. Given the growing crises in online safety, privacy, and democracy, no story seems as urgent as Molly Russell’s. We are honoured to be working with Marc Silver, Snowstorm Productions and Storyboard Studios, to bring Molly vs the Machines to cinemas across the UK in 2026.”
