Not unlike any other teenage horror movie gone wrong, Unfriended is a supernatural movie that primarily unfolds through the medium of a computer screen. The supernaturally charged tale takes place in real time with a group of high school friends: Blaire, Mitch, Jess, Adam, Ken, and Val, who are having a group video call on Skype. However, an uninvited participant “Billie227” ruins the call and conversation becomes even more disturbing.

Blaire and her friends soon realized that the interruption was far worse than any prank gone wrong – it was the classmate who committed suicide after a shocking video went viral of her. This vengeful spirit friend is known as Laura Barns. Everything goes downhill from here because the entity starts to carry out allary manipulative actions like exposing buried secrets and forcing friends to participate in terrifying physical games. And some of the friends are dumb enough to accept and ends up facing the bitter reality of their hidden secrets.

Cast & Crew

Cast listed in order of appearance:

• Shelley Hennig as Blaire Lily
• Moses Storm as Mitch Roussel
• Renee Olstead as Jess Felton
• Will Peltz as Adam Sewell
• Jacob Wysocki as Ken Smith
• Courtney Halverson as Val Rommel
• Heather Sossaman as Laura Barns
• Directed by: Levan Gabriadze
• Written by: Nelson Greaves
• Produced by: Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter)
• Music by: Nathan Whitehead

IMDb Ratings & Reviews

IMDb: ⭐ 5.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes: Critics Score 62% | Audience Score 37%

Metacritic: 59/100

While the critics were in agreement regarding the storytelling in Unfriended, audiences were less united. Some found it innovative and terrifying while others believed it had too many gimmicks.

Awards & Recognition

• Most Innovative Film (Fright Meter Awards) – Winners
• Best Horror Film (Saturn Awards) – Nominated
• Fantasia International Film Festival (2014) – Premiered

Personal Insights & Cultural Significance

Unfriended is able to portray different characteristics of modern day paranoia such as social media and cyberbullying which makes it one of the few horror films that has embraced innovative concepts in digital horror.

The story tackles the psychological effects of online shaming- Laura’s ghost is a representation of how cyber bullying can haunt one even after death.

The film’s budget ($ 1 million) versus the returns on the box office ($ 64 million) demonstrates how innovative formats can blend into horror films. This was further built upon in Searching (2018) and Host (2020).

Sequels & Spin-Offs

Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) – This is an independent sequel that does not revolve around supernatural characters. It is scarier and more realistic for tech-savvy fans because it treas deeper into the world of illegal web activities.

Final Verdict

In case you are a fan of found – footage horror films and enjoy being scared by technology based scare tactics, Unfriended is a film that you must watch. It is not for everyone, but it serves up a distorted and chilling representation of the internet.