“LifeHack” follows Kyle and his friends who spend their time hijacking scammers and hacking systems just for the thrill. After infiltrating the crypto network of a tech billionaire, their biggest rush becomes their biggest mistake.
This is a screenlife film, taking place entirely on the digital faces of computers and phones. “LifeHack” features a mixture of video chats, social media content, video games and other interfaces.
In doing so, it very quickly emphasizes the craziness of the modern electronic world. The constant changing of tabs, sending links and content consumption is overwhelming. In 2026, everything is recorded. Adolescents and young adults are seeing it all. This leads to an abundance of pressure — to do. Something. Anything. The desire to be known for something is the foundation of “LifeHack” and the scenario that these individuals find themselves in.
This digital approach is often hit-or-miss. While some like “Unfriended” pull it off, there are many more that fall completely flat. “LifeHack” lands in a category similar to “Unfriended,” meaning… it works. The editing by Ronan Corrigan and Sasha Kletsov plays a large role in this. While it could quickly grow monotonous to watch tabs open and close, they add style to the movement with zooms and snappy cuts. The score keeps all of this moving at a fast pace as well. In everyday life, computer work or phone scrolling can be silent. Liam Brown’s (“Two Blinks, I Love You”) music complements the onscreen action at every turn.
With that being said, it’s not perfect. There are moments where conversations don’t flow naturally because of the choppy nature. Slight inconsistencies in character positions from previous shots can be distracting, especially when you’re meant to believe this is an uncut conversation between friends.
In terms of actual story, it’s a slow-moving start. This is because “LifeHack” initially focuses on the characters, establishing group dynamics like flirtations, secrets and most importantly… who’s in and who’s out. As tensions start building, this development gives real weight to the stakes. But the true intensity doesn’t fully begin until close to the midway point. Because of this, many viewers may lose interest in the early stages of the 96-minute runtime.
Surprisingly, however, it’s the film’s first 45 minutes that prove to be the most entertaining. After the true “heist” begins, it starts to lose some steam. Everyone — except one character — is “game” for the wild hijinks. And as the heist grows larger, “LifeHack” loses the realism that it once had.
The conclusion itself suffers as well. At the start, “LifeHack” provides the audience with a hint as to where it’s heading. Well… it does exactly what you would expect. The film resolves all of its loose ends in neat fashion, leaving nothing to the imagination. There’s a “twist,” but it’s largely predictable.
Despite this, co-writer and director Ronan Corrigan shows off many talents in his directorial debut. It’s a movie for Gen Z, by Gen Z. This gives it an authentic flavor that’s hard to replicate. It’s also a unique addition to the crime genre. While most screenlife movies fall into horror, this one does not. Despite containing noticeable flaws, it manages to stand out from the pack because of this.
Georgie Farmer (Kyle) is the star of “LifeHack.” He has a charming persona that holds attention, no matter how many baffling things he mutters. Farmer brings a certain smugness that’s perfect for this specific role. Alongside him are Yasmin Finney (Alex), Roman Hayeck-Green (Sid) and James Vinh Scholz (Petey).
While the performances are all serviceable, the characters themselves are inconsistent. The film attempts to generate redeeming qualities in each of them, but most of the time, these feel like pity attempts. On top of this, some come and go throughout the story, just to return at the very end. Only being able to view these individuals from their online activity, it can be hard to buy into them as real people.
Despite the story never fully cracking the code, “LifeHack” delivers a thrilling digital heist. Powered by energetic pacing and a distinct style, it bypasses its narrative flaws.
Rating: 3 out of 5
