Filmmaker Patricia (Pati) Franquesa had no idea when her laptop was stolen from a café in Madrid the absolute horrors she would be put through.  Two months after thieves took her computer, she received an email from an anonymous hacker that claimed to have sexually explicit photos of her taken from its hard drive.  Unless she paid them $2400, they threatened to release them to those she knew including friends, family and professional contacts.  My Sextortion Diary tells the story of Pati’s nightmare as she tries to identify the person blackmailing her.  

Franquesa tells her own story through video footage from her phone, and text message conversations with her friends and family.  It’s a style choice that won’t work for everyone.  The picture rarely, if ever, covers more than a small portion of the screen, and text conversations are plentiful. The filmmaker utilizes tense, suspenseful music as she puts the pieces of the crime against her together. But these scenes are not assembled in any way to make them feel thrilling.  With the film coming in at a short 64 minutes, Franquesa uses too much of this time on moments that don’t propel the documentary forward.  

My Sextortion Diary tells a significant and compelling story. It’s one that we should all be aware of since the prevalence of these crimes are increasing.  It also shows Pati demonstrating a great deal of vulnerability and bravery as she takes back power and autonomy from those blackmailing her.  It’s truly admirable.  However, the style of this film almost makes it seem like there was a lack of material to work from.  My Sextortion Diary, while an important work, never becomes gripping enough to create the thriller intended.