The film was based entirely on real experiences . To ensure the script was an accurate portrayal of contemporary teenage life writer/director Ben Chanan consulted both Williams and his own teenage daughter to ensure any " Dad-isms " were ironed out of the script . Maisie Williams , who portrayed the central character of Casey Jacobs , noted that she had been a victim of cyberbullying after being cast as Arya Stark in '' Game of Thrones '' . She received messages calling her " stuck up " , and saying that she thought was " too good for everyone else " . Like the film 's protagonist Williams admitted responding to the bullying in kind , saying " when you 're 13 and someone says something nasty you do n't want to ignore them . You want to hurt them like they 've hurt you . You get in to this bitchy cycle . " '' Cyberbully '' ( which is unrelated to the similarly named 2011 American film ) received positive reviews from critics . '' The Spectator '' asserted that the one-off play was a " very well made one , deftly shifting our sympathies throughout ( with the aid of Maisie Williams ’s dazzling central performance ) and full of genuine menace . " Similarly , writing in '' The Guardian '' , Filipa Jodelka described Maisie Williams central performance as a " tour-de-force " , although noted that unlike its billing it should n't be " viewed as a realistic depiction of cyberbullying at all , but as a kind of millennial ghost-in-the-machine spine-chiller instead , replete with traditional horror devices ( Faustian pacts , anonymous ghouls , tests of morality ) , mild peril and creepy strings . " Mark Monahan of '' The Daily Telegraph '' gave the episode 3/5 stars , and noted the plot 's predictability . Despite this he still felt that it was " tense , all too topical , and – here ’s hoping – maybe even socially useful television . " '' The Independent '' noted that it " was that rare programme that felt authentic enough to persuade teens , while also engaging older viewers . " In a further review of the film for '' The Guardian '' , Lucy Mangan described the film as " part gothic horror , part '' An Inspector Calls '' for the digital age . " She also felt that despite Williams 's good performance , it was Haruka Abe as Jennifer Li who was the standout performer , with Abe having the more " difficult task of making happiness and optimism compelling until she has to modulate into despair under the weight of the people who attack her and urge her to kill herself . " The film was nominated for the 2016 Bafta TV Awards in the Single Drama category . The film won the 2016 Prix Italia in the TV drama category
2016 Bafta TV Awards
2016 British Academy Television Awards
Cyberbully (2015 film)