Unfriended, a review.
I have to say that, whilst not the worst film I've seen, it does leave a lot to be desired. I was hoping not to be so negative in this review, but looking back, I have to wonder how I got through this film. We open up with the screen flickering and changing as the view becomes as though the viewer is looking at a computer screen. It stays that way for the majority of the film, and that is supposed to, I'd imagine, help immerse us in the tale unfolding. Artistically, that choice might have worked for some, me not so much. The idea behind the film is a simple one, Six friends on a video call get caught up in something supernatural as a friend from the grave begins to play a game with them. This is the sort of thing that has been done before, but we watch it all from Blair's point of view, through her computer. It starts very small, but things grow worse as the film progresses, and the mystery of why this is happening is revealed over time. All that plays out surrounds the death of a friend, and we see this in the opening seconds, as a video clip plays on screen. This friend, Laura, killed herself after a video had been posted on social media, trolled by countless people until she could take no more. This single event feeds directly into what happens to these six.
And what to say about the six friends? I didn't like any of them, and maybe that was supposed to be the point. They're a whiny, self-absorbed, bitchy, backstabbing group who profess to care about one another but act in a manner that suggests otherwise. Being from a nation far from the strange land of America, it is hard to know if these six act in a way that is typical for the youth over there, but I wanted to slap them each on several occasions. As the film plays out, we discover more about each of them. Unfortunately, none of them look any better, reinforcing my initial view of them. As far as setups go, it is rare that I have not found one person to root for. The film did a good job of proving how petty and selfish some people can be.
Now, as the film plays, out we discover more behind Laura's suicide and the parts that each of them played in it. As this unwanted caller keeps them part of the call with threats and worse, we begin to wonder if this is just a hacker or something else. I won't be spoiling anything by saying that this is supposed to be a supernatural event, that this is Laura calling from beyond the grave. Death and terror follow for our friends, the caller pushing them to reveal things about themselves. Failure to do so will lead to their deaths, something that played out earlier in the film. As a viewer, I saw where the film was headed long before it got there, the infighting and dirty secrets were not a surprise, and the deaths were a little uninspired. It was a surprise that I rooted for the spirit to get its revenge on this group, rarely that is the case. As we spiral towards the climax, we get more desperation from them and another death, that in my opinion, is a little unbelievable after everything they have experienced.
I have seen many horror films, and none are quite so lackluster. Usually, they are either so bad they're good, just plain bad, or a decent watch. This one is just so boring, unlikeable, and pretty obvious as to where it is headed.
I would give this a 2 out of 5. It's worth a watch if nothing else is on but don't expect anything too thrilling. Let me know what you thought of it if you've seen it yourself.
