New Netflix Documentary Explores Digital Harassment in ‘Unknown Number: The High School Catfish’

A new true-crime documentary released on Netflix, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, examines a case of cyber-stalking that evolves into a complex psychological mystery. The film centers on a teenage girl and her boyfriend who become the targets of a sustained campaign of harassment from an anonymous phone number. The narrative follows the subsequent police investigation as it uncovers a secret that challenges the initial assumptions of everyone involved in the case. This positions the documentary not only as a crime story but as a contemporary document on the darker aspects of digital communication and the weaponization of personal technology.

The Narrative Unfolding a High School Mystery

The documentary constructs its narrative by first establishing the intense and personal nature of the harassment. The story begins as the teenage couple receives relentless, vulgar, and taunting text messages at all hours of the day and night. This initial phase focuses on the significant psychological distress inflicted upon the victims, detailing their feelings of self-doubt and paranoia as a familiar device—a cell phone—is transformed into a source of torment.

As the campaign of digital harassment continues, the film shows how the conflict escalates beyond the initial targets to affect their entire social circle. What starts as a digital prank unravels into a chilling psychological game where trust evaporates among friends and the wider high school community. Parents become involved, leading to public confrontations and accusations that heighten the social pressure on the students. A critical turning point in the documentary occurs when suspicion shifts toward the primary victim, with the possibility raised that she could be orchestrating the entire affair to garner attention. This development introduces a layer of misdirection and psychological complexity, forcing investigators and the community to question the nature of victimization itself. The severity of the situation is underscored by the eventual involvement of the FBI, which elevates the case from a local high school incident to a federal investigation. The film’s narrative structure prioritizes the emotional and social consequences of the crime, focusing less on the procedural mechanics of the investigation and more on the subjective experience of being caught in a web of suspicion and betrayal. For an audience that may already be familiar with the outcome of the case, the documentary’s purpose appears to be a definitive exploration of the motivations and unseen details behind the events, rather than a simple reveal of the perpetrator’s identity.

Unknown Number The High School Catfish

The Director’s Vision: The Work of Skye Borgman

The documentary is directed by Skye Borgman, a filmmaker with an established presence in the true-crime genre. Her filmography includes several notable Netflix titles such as Abducted in Plain Sight, Girl in the Picture, Sins of Our Mother, and I Just Killed My Dad. Borgman’s work is characterized by an approach that emphasizes the human stories behind criminal cases, often focusing on the victims’ perspectives while exploring complex, morally ambiguous situations. Her directorial style is frequently described as sensitive and objective, avoiding sensationalism while telling stories that exist in shades of gray rather than as simple black-and-white narratives. Borgman often chooses projects with elements she doesn’t fully understand, allowing her to explore the questions from an unbiased position. Her filmmaking techniques blend intimate interviews with archival materials and carefully constructed re-enactments to create an authentic and immersive viewing experience. These re-enactments are sometimes shot on 8mm film to evoke the feeling of a home movie, adding a layer of authenticity that transports the viewer back in time.

Behind the Production: Campfire Studios and Terminal B Television

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is a production of Campfire Studios in association with Terminal B Television. Campfire Studios, founded by CEO Ross M. Dinerstein, is an Emmy Award-winning production company known for producing a wide range of premium non-fiction content for major streaming platforms. The studio’s mission is to tell authentic, human, and message-based stories through a premium and artistic lens. The studio’s portfolio includes projects such as WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn, Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults, The Innocent Man, and Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food. The company’s stated mission is to tell authentic and human-focused stories, a philosophy that aligns with the directorial approach of Skye Borgman. The collaboration between the director and the studio indicates a cohesive vision for the film as a character-driven, psychologically nuanced narrative.

Key personnel credited on the project include executive producers Ross M. Dinerstein, Ross Girard, and Rebecca Evans for Campfire Studios, and Tom Forman, David Metzler, Alysia Sofios, and Justin Sprague for Terminal B Television. Several of the producers, including Dinerstein, Girard, and Evans, are recipients of Emmy Awards, underscoring the level of experience involved in the documentary’s creation.

The documentary presents a true-crime narrative about digital-age deception and intimate betrayal, crafted by a respected director and a premium production studio. It serves as a timely examination of cyberbullying, catfishing, and the erosion of trust in an era of constant connectivity.

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is available for streaming on Netflix beginning August 29, 2025.