Review of Friend Request (2016) by Guy J — 28 Apr 2016

What was I expecting? A copy of last year's Unfriended which was done really well? The story is very similar, it's just shot differently and adds a ring-esque style ending to the plot. Girl commits suicide and supposedly kills those around her but not until she's scared the statuses out of them.

I admit, it was jumpy and had some great moments even though slightly predictable it follows the feed of a typical horror film. Director Simon Verhoeven does really well for his first international feature, not having directed horror before but you can tell a lot of the formula is taken from previous, recent horror flicks like the Ring and The Ring and The Grudge.

The cast, mostly unknowns do okay. Alycia Debham-Carey is the protagonist, the very popular Laura who kinda connects with the strange new girl in town, Ma Rina (Liesl Ahlers), who rapidly turns into a stalker resulting in a public falling out. After she commits suicide things escalate quickly with terrifying effect. Debham-Carey reminded me of a young version of Vera Farmiga.

Narnia's Peter (William Moseley) is the soon becoming clingy boyfriend whilst Kobe, a kind of devil's advocate helps Laura search of answers. Kobe played by a younger looking Colin Farrell he does his part well as does Liesl Ahlers creepy as hell! And the other friends, make out to be excellent victims.

So, yes it's quite like Unfriended where an entity offs friends one by one in some imaginative manner. But then the hunt begins as the films gets darker and you're reminded of the same journey Naomi Watts takes in The Ring. There's a couple of twists and the ending, well; you'll just have to watch it yourself.

What really surprised me about this film was the soundtrack. It's rather colourful for a horror film and I suppose the film as a whole is quite colourful apart from the scary bits. It really does create a strong contrast between the paranormal and the normal.

It's the ultimate frape and the hack no one ever wants. Especially when you start losing friends over it. If you thought it wasn't scary I dare you to search her on FB and friend request her. (Don't do that if you're friends with me) There's a hint of a sequel but I also smell ingredients of a spoof. Scary Movie 25 maybe?

Running Time: 7.

The Cast: 6.

Performance: 7.

Direction: 8.

Story: 7.

Script: 6.

Creativity: 7.

Soundtrack: 8.

Job Description: 8.

The Extra Bonus Points: 0.

64% 6/10.