Movie Review of Unknown Number: The High School Catfish
I recently watched Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, a Netflix documentary that premiered on August 29, 2025, and it left me stunned. This true crime film dives into the terrifying experience of Lauryn Licari, a Michigan teen who faced relentless cyberstalking starting at age 13. The shocking twist? The stalker was her own mother. For any high schooler glued to their phone, this story is a serious wake-up call about the dangers lurking online.
The documentary begins in 2020, when Lauryn, then a middle schooler, started receiving anonymous texts. At first, they seemed like harmless warnings about her boyfriend, Owen McKenny, but they quickly turned vicious. Dozens of messages daily—sometimes 40 or 50—flooded her phone with insults, threats, and personal details like her address, spread across Snapchat and Instagram through fake accounts. Lauryn felt trapped, constantly watched, and isolated. Her grades suffered, friendships faded, and fear took over her life. Owen faced similar harassment, with the stalker trying to sabotage their relationship. Despite reporting it to the police, the culprit stayed hidden, using burner phones and apps to avoid detection. The film uses real text screenshots and interviews with Lauryn, now in her late teens, to show just how devastating this was, dragging on for nearly two years.
The bombshell comes when the FBI traces the messages to Lauryn’s mother, Kendra Licari. Driven by jealousy and an inappropriate fixation on Owen, Kendra orchestrated the campaign to control her daughter and break up the couple. She even tried to pin the blame on others, like Owen’s mom. Court footage reveals Kendra’s 2023 guilty plea to two counts of stalking a minor, landing her 19 months to five years in prison; she was released in August 2024. Lauryn’s raw account of the betrayal is gut-wrenching, making you feel the weight of her pain.
Directed by Skye Borgman, the film keeps things straightforward, using real evidence and interviews to build suspense without over-dramatizing. It’s powerful to see Lauryn’s journey toward healing—she’s now advocating for online safety, turning her trauma into action. The documentary also highlights how common cyberstalking is, with stats showing it’s on the rise and teens are especially vulnerable due to constant social media use.
Unknown Number is a must-watch for high schoolers and parents alike. It’s a stark reminder to stay alert online, save evidence of harassment, and report it immediately to trusted adults or authorities. I’d give it 4.5/5 stars—it’s gripping and real, though the investigation scenes drag slightly. Stream it on Netflix, and be ready to rethink how you navigate your digital world. This isn’t just a movie; it’s a lesson in staying safe.