Did you love The Blair Witch Project? And how about Cloverfield? Well, meet your new favourite found-footage thriller: Unfriended.
The 2014 film directed by Levan Gabriadze follows a group of friends (through their computer screens no less) as they have a run in with a very scary cyberghost. Yes, a cyberghost. Think a murderous, angry poltergeist, but in your computer. Yeah, freaked us out too…
Starring Shelley Hennig (Teen Wolf) the film relays the story of a girl who commits suicide after an embarrassing video of her is anonymously posted online. A year later, on the anniversary of her death, her friends meet over Skype, where an unknown user joins them too. Guess who…
Here’s your need-to-know about the film, whether it’s true or not, and if you can expect to see a sequel any time soon…
Is Unfriended based on a true story?
If you’ve just watched Unfriended and were hoping to find some teen horror story about a cyber ghost, then we may have to disappoint you…
There’s been some pretty heated discussion around this matter, happening all over the internet. From Disqus users pretending to be the dead protagonist Laura Barns to some seriously confused people who don’t seem to understand the difference between fact and fiction… the web, as usual, delivers. However, the events of the film aren’t real, although the makers of the film certainly took inspiration from the horribly real phenomenon of cyberbullying - and the harm it can cause.
Film critic Mark Kermode called Unfriended ‘a Blair Witch for the broadband era’ and praised it for its ability to tap into how the yoof behave online, and the very dark side of the internet. He said: “the film has tapped into its target audience’s fears rather than those of their parents. Teenagers living this augmented life know that cyberbullying depends upon their active co-operation but they also know the sickening terror of being unable to look away.” Dark thought for the day: even if it is literally killing you, the cyber world is hard to step away from….
Is Unfriended scary?
Well it really depends what you classify as scary. If you like find The Ring funny and watch The Shining when you fancy a chilled night in, Unfriended won’t even give you a goose bump. If you’re in the other camp who peed themselves a bit just watching the trailer for Scary Movie, then you might want to watch Unfriended from behind a pillow. Because although it’s not based on a real story, the close proximity you have to each character puts you right in the middle of the action - the whole film is told via Skype, which makes you feel like you’re in the convo too. Who needs the fourth wall when you can dial into the movie?
Is Unfriended on Netflix?
Sadly no - well not in the UK at least. But you can pick up some reasonably priced DVDs (remember them?!) on Amazon, and you can also download it on iTunes.
Is there a sequel of Unfriended?
There most certainly is! The sequel has been green-lit and is reportedly in production. Stay tuned.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
Digital Mourning: Has Social Media Changed The Way We Grieve For Good?
Facebook Apparently Affects Your Brain In The Same Way As Doing Coke. Help!
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.