No Spoilers
Unfriended is a movie I heard about while watching various top 10 lists or something. Though the format is not one of my favorite subjects/genre’s/types of horror movies I like to watch, I think after seeing Host and/or some other movie driven by a social media interface, which I enjoyed, I decided to give Unfriended a try. As mentioned in the title I found this movie on Netflix and as usual at this point I have seen half the movie.
The movie opens up with an online video call between a couple of what appears to be high school teens just chatting it up about what teens chat about. Use your imagination. After a few minutes of watching this private call unfold the conversation gets interrupted by an incoming call which turns out to be a bunch of their friends and they begin a group chat via Skype.
At the very beginning of the movie we learn that one of the friends has committed suicide (don’t worry, no spoiler here) and now during this conference call they are on, one of the crew gets a message from the dead girls social media account which looks like it originates from her Facebook page. As the group of friends is currently in an online conference call one of them thinks it’s one of their friends who they are currently online with at the moment making jokes in bad taste. Then some revealing pictures of one of the girls gets posted under the name of one of the other girls they are currently online with and a cat fight breaks out between two of the girls and after some minutes of this back and forth they start to come under the realization that the dead suicide girls Facebook account has possibly been hacked and some creep is probably sending them all messages from the hacked account in an attempt to unnerve them. And unnerve them it does.
One of the interesting (and awesome) things about this particular horror flick is I think it was meant to be watched on a computer in it’s appropriate window. While your watching the movie what you see is an active computer screen with the people talking and using their Skypes and what not, but the illusion it brings is that the movie you are watching is just another window on YOUR computer and not only is that super creepy, but it’s done super well to the point of being believable. I had some difficulty in writing this paragraph trying to explain what I’m seeing on the screen as I watch this movie so I hope that all makes sense.
<…first half of movie complete. will watch the rest of the movie now and complete this article afterwards…>
Okay, now the movie is over. And I’m going to give this movie a yes. Usually I don’t like teeny bop made for high schoolers movies but this movie has a story to tell, and I hope this movie either deters or helps someone with a real need. If not, please reach out to me personally.
Now, with that out of the way, as the movie is winding down, in those last 20-25 minutes or so we get put on a rollercoaster ride of an anxiety trip. I believe the anxiety build up was expertly done and it eerily reminds of the way I felt while watching The Blair Witch Project (the original of course). The final reveal I think most people will see coming, but I don’t think they/you will get it till the very end.
Yes, this is a horror movie, and though some might say it’s a slow burn, it was enjoyable and entertaining. The anxiety build up was expertly and impeccably done, at least to me, and that alone really makes this movie one to watch. So be good to you and yours, don’t lie, and grow the fuck up!