Unfriended

Reno 5/16/2024 3:18:31PM 8.4

**In this viral going social media era, our actions must be very cautious!** A new age cinema. I don't know how it was put under 'found footage' subgenre film, since the webcams involved I think it is very much valid. There are lots of interesting stats for this like it is a $1m film, 80 minutes long, shot within the 16 days, but made to look like a single shot film in real time. This is a story of friends gang whose friend was recently committed suicide. Like usual one day, they are all hanging out on the Skype for a group chat, finds a stranger contact live among them who claims she's their dead friend. So the quest begins to find who really it is and what is the purpose behind such a pose. This story is very familiar. Like a gang was put together in a room and revealing each others secret to bring total chaos. Take for example 'Cube'. What follows is we all know which is actually a famous cliché in a thriller like this. So I thought similar way for this and it was, but only in a digital format where the current world trend stands. So this film can be enjoyed by youngsters and those who are familiar which internet forums like facebook, skype, google, email et cetera. In the entire film, all you would see is the computer screen. So you have to quick where mousing is moving and text was composed and concentrating the audio comments. Something like sitting next to a friend's computer and looking what he's doing. I think it was a good film, keeps us guessing till the final minute. I'm watching it a bit late, but very happy I did not miss it after all and there is already a second film getting ready which is due this year's end. But I doubt the film won't get anywhere near to this one. The franchise might end up like 'Paranormal Activity' if sequels keeping coming. The actors were good though. I thought one of them was Jennifer Carpenter where one of the film posters resembles 'Quarantine', but during the watch I realised it was a different actress. Despite the familiar theme, the setting makes all the difference and pretty entertaining. The end scene was a surprise, because until that point I was not aware of this film genre. Definitely worth a watch for modernising the old storyline with lots of suspense. 7/10

John Chard 5/16/2024 3:22:25PM 8.4

Online, your memories live forever... but so do your mistakes. A group of online chat room friends find themselves terrorised by someone or something using the account of their dead friend. For someone like me who is way out of the age sphere for such things like the social media world featured here, Unfriended is a fascinating and unnerving experience. When your on line experiences are simply message boards and discussion forums etc, where twitter, skype, facebook and their like are alien to them, then one can only praise when an innovative and fresh idea is brought to the horror realm of film making. And lets face it, horror always needs new splinters to off set the ream of numerical sequels and remakes from hell. Unfriended is not scary on conventional terms, where it's not about to jolt you out of your seat or have you hiding behind the sofa. It is, however, scary how technology has advanced, how the millions of world wide web users so willingly commit to baring their innermost to all and sundry. Then there's the dark half, those who use the platforms for venal and nefarious means, bringing very real terrors into our world. I can't personally vouch for how genuine the tech aspects are in this film, but Unfriended definitely taps into a frightening realm, and that is to be applauded. Oh I will not be watching it again, I mean what would be the point? But I'm glad I did take the plunge, and simultaneously I'm glad I'm one of those who is happy just texting and using email... 7.5/10

Dr_Nostromo 4/16/2026 9:24:42PM 8.4

74/100 As teen friends gather together on Skype, an unknown person appears calling themselves Laura ...a girl that committed suicide a year previously. Being a certified computer tech and an overall nerd, I love this film but ...probably more so than the average viewer. The entire film is seen through one of the participants monitors adding to the realism and spontaneity. Not quite as good as "Unfriended: Dark Web" (probably due to it having a supernatural element whereas DW did not making it more realistic) but still very effective and incredibly tense. -- DrNostromo.com