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Cast

Keanu Reeves
as Narrator

Cindy Cohn

Andy Greenberg (IV)

James Chaparro

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Critic Reviews for Deep Web

Audience Reviews for Deep Web

• Jan 29, 2016

  "Deep Web" (2015) is a bit of a misnomer for what this film is about. The concept of the deep web is that more abundant portion of the Internet where a lot of activities and transactions go on, beyond what the superficial traffic we see every day. But the film is only tangentially about that. What the film is really about is about the Silk Road and its mysterious leader, Dread Pirate Roberts. The Silk Road was a secret Internet site where people could buy and sell mainly drugs using electronic currency. It was founded with an anarcho-capitalist creed: consenting adults who are of age should have the right to buy and sell what they would like without outside interference or control. Its founder Dread Pirate Roberts used his nom de plume and message board platform on the Internet's Silk Road in order to spread this political message. Because of this freedom and his message, many people praised the anonymous Dread Pirate Roberts for being a champion of libertarian values. Everything came to a head when the U.S. government got involved to crack down on the website, since it is illegal to buy, sell, or distribute certain kinds of drugs within the United States. Another surprising turn was that people discovered that Dread Pirate Roberts himself, or someone who might have been using his name, had contracted hitmen to kill members of the Silk Road who were willing to reveal to federal authorities how the Silk Road system operated. Although no contract killings were carried out, according to the criminal records money did exchange hands for those services. This event had people rethinking the intentions and motivations, if not of the Silk Road at least of its administrator Dread Pirate Roberts. The film is provocative and challenging, and writing about it makes me realize that I like the film a lot better than I thought I had. The only reason why I might not be able to recommend it enthusiastically is that the film is not really about what it purports to be about. Had the film been called "The Story of the Internet Silk Road" or something more to the point of the film, I think I would be quicker to endorse it. But still another reason why I might feel uncomfortable endorsing it is that I don't really think it's a must-see. Perhaps if the film focused more on the service and less on its founder.
  Billie P Super Reviewer
• Jun 14, 2015

  A very interesting documentary about the arrest and takedown of the founder of the Silk Road website. This documentary raises some very valid questions which are still unanswered and I found it gripping and entertaining overall.
  

  Ian W Super Reviewer

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