Written by Adam Mast
UNFRIENDED (R)
“Unfriended” is a mixture of your garden variety ‘80s slasher movie (think “Friday the 13th” and “Prom Night”) and “The Blair Witch Project” re-imagined for the Skype generation. It’s a one-trick pony, a gimmick movie if ever there was one. But guess what? I’ll be damned if the gimmick doesn’t work like a charm.
As “Unfriended” opens, we’re given a glimpse into the horrific death of Laura Burns, a young woman who is bullied to the point of absolute despair. A couple years later, on the anniversary of her unfortunate passing, a group of Burns’ classmates spend the evening chatting online and Skyping until their meaningless banter is interrupted by a mysterious cyber-chatter proclaiming to be Laura Burns. This all knowing individual eventually forces these confused and terrified chatters to play a dangerous game of “Never Have I Ever,” and before long, layers are pealed away and dirty little secrets are ultimately revealed.
The question is, who is doing the terrorizing? Is it Laura Burns actually seeking revenge from beyond the grave? Is it one of Laura’s family members or a friend looking for a little payback? Is it a perversely twisted prank being perpetrated by a fellow student hell-bent on making a point? Or is this game simply being carried out by a random sicko who enjoys watching others suffer?
I suspected that “Unfriended” would refuse to give us an answer as to the identity of our creepy cyber-boogeyman, but thankfully, we do get an answer. In addition to filling us in on who is causing all the online mischief, director Levan Gabriadze and screenwriter Nelson Greaves manage to generate moments of real tension despite the fact that this entire movie essentially takes place on a computer screen.
It may not sound like one’s idea of entertainment, but surprisingly, it works. By simply designing the movie as a single shot, we as audience members are able to chose what we want to look at on screen, and while the film is a little busy and congested with various computer screen text and chat messages, it is also incredibly realistic in its depiction of the addiction that is social media.
Furthermore, while this is a slasher movie at heart, it isn’t without its timely subtext. The anti-bullying message, while obvious, comes through loud and clear. And of course, this is also a social media cautionary tale. It isn’t as gripping as “Catfish,” but there are certainly similarities to be found.
However, not everything in “Unfriended” works. A couple of moments that are designed to shock come up short. I also could have done without the ending. There were several intriguing ways this movie could have come to a close. The direction the filmmakers chose is far less dramatic than it could have been. Instead of going for a sucker punch to the gut, “Unfriended” goes out with a typical “cat-jumping-on-the-windowsill” moment. Still, at a brisk 82-minute running time, “Unfriended” never outstays its welcome. Had the movie been any longer, it might have run its simple concept right into the ground.
This film will certainly have its detractors.
“This is what passes for a horror movie in the modern era? What a bunch of garbage!” they’ll say.
Yes, “Unfriended” is a cheapie, but again, what it does, it does extremely well. It’s substantially stronger than most of the found-footage films we’ve seen making the rounds in the past few years, and in the end, it does for Skyping what “Paranormal Activity” did for surveillance cams. This isn’t the rebirth of the modern horror film, and my biggest fear is that it will inspire a barrage of uninspired sequels and copy cat thrillers, but even so, that won’t take away from this creative and surprisingly tense slice of cyber-horror. “Unfriended” was a pleasant surprise.
