UNFRIENDED – The Review

UNFRIENDED is a pretty intense cyber-thriller that is sure to scare teens straight with its anti-bullying theme.

Sure, we’ve all seen the wave of found footage flicks that has come out in the past decade or so, starting with THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (which, FYI, still holds up). Since it’s release, audiences have been bombarded with the sub-genre of films… some good, some terrible, such as the never-ending supply of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movies. This is where UNFRIENDED broke the mold. The film modified the handheld cam look, and upgraded it to a laptop. Think about it. What are teens up to when they are at home on a school night? They’re talking to their friends in group chats, posting on Facebook, and texting with their smartphones. It’s never been easier for kids to have access to whatever it is that they want. Unfortunately, this is also a source of instant gratification without thinking about the consequences. I couldn’t imagine growing up in a world where every mistake that I made had the possibility of being seen by millions, just because some jerk with a camera phone thought it was funny, and wanted a few ‘likes.”

This is where the tale of Laura Barns comes in. Here, we have a girl who got too drunk at a party, and passed out in a humiliating way. When video of the hazy night went viral amongst her schoolmates, the harassment and bullying was enough for her to end her life, which someone also caught on video and shared online.

One year later, on the anniversary of her death, a few friends go about their normal teen lives and join up for a group chat on Skype. Everything is fine until a mysterious caller chimes in, and continues to mess with them, until finally revealing that it is Laura Barns. It’s simple. Now that she is gone, she’s determined to figure out which one of her supposed friends released the tape. It’s a game of ‘whodunit’ where no one really wins.

I, being in my thirties, don’t use Skype on a regular basis, but am still rather familiar with it. Hearing the call noise, and waiting to see what would happen actually had me anxious. That never happens, since I’ve watched so many horror films in my life, and generally know what to expect. This, however, felt fresh. They didn’t rely on just using jump scares to horrify the audience. Instead, they also used a relatable story theme, and created tension throughout the film. Director Levan Gabriadze did a great job of creating a natural flowing, fun film. The same goes for the cast. A lot was riding on their shoulders since most of their script was improvised. They were in charge, in a way, of how they looked on camera since they really did have a makeshift skype-type of chat screen in front of them, and really moving the script along. Also, kudos to these guys for playing teens, since they’re all in their mid-to-late twenties, with the exception of Jacob Wysocki, who is now 24.

Look, it takes a lot to get through to the youth of today. They have the whole world at their fingertips, and at an impressionable age, that can be dangerous. If a good scare is what’s needed to get them to think before they upload something, or type something cruel on the internet, then let’s scare them. Remember, it takes no courage to say something while hiding behind a screen, but on the other side there is a person, just like you. Words hurt. Bravo on the message, even though it’s a bit extreme!

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

FOR MORE INFO:

FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/UnfriendedMovie/timeline

OFFICIAL WEBSITE : http://www.unfriendedmovie.com

TWITTER : https://twitter.com/unfriendedmovie

UNFRIENDED is in theaters April 17