Review of Unfriended (2014) by Michael M — 13 Aug 2015

This movie created a lot of contradicting feelings for me. On the one hand I was disappointed while watching it, on the other hand I kept thinking about it the next day. On the one hand it didn't scare me that much, but on the other hand I did sleep with the lights on that night. On the one hand the approach and style is damn intriguing, on the other hand they maybe go a bit too far with it.

I admire the movie a lot for tackling subjects like cyberbullying and online privacy, and also for taking a new approach to what is ultimately another teen slasher film. In both these aspects, it's about as successful as it could be. I did think they went a bit too far with the whole only-a-computer-screen-the-entire-movie of it all sometimes; they emulate the glitchiness of skype and the buffering of pages, which makes it feel more genuine, but these things are irritating in real life and they're no less irritating here. Still, it's a really cool approach to the slasher formula, and I liked how it took place in real-time. The message of the movie is a bit more effective. The point of the movie is the consequences of our tech-obsessed youth and the cruelty of teens. This subject has been covered in countless made-for-tv cringe-fest dramas, but this is the first time it's been done in a horror movie. This is really a good call, since not only is it more effective it's also way more likely to get to the audience who needs to hear it.

I think Unfriended will be a very enjoyable and scary time for today's teenagers. Its message is relevant to them, and it's horror plays on things they can/should be scared of. Thing is, I'm not in that demographic, so I just found it to be an okay slasher movie with an interesting twist. I love slasher movies, so I still found enjoyment in it, but not as much as I had hoped. If you're a teenager or a found-footage horror fan looking something a little different, check it out. It's no game changer, but it's still worth your time. I don't regret watching it, but I don't know that I'll watch it again.