As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
Sometimes, a movie won't garner enough inspiration to write a full review. Rather than mince words and spend a lot of time digging for words and content to explain what I saw on the screen, it's easier just to make it short and sweet. Hit the high points and leave you, the reader, with the opportunity to make a snap decision on whether or not it's really worth your time. This movie was a prime example of that.
The first time that I heard about this entry in the found footage genre, I thought it was a joke. Strictly created for the name alone. It sounded like some kind of spoof or parody film. As time went on and I realized that it was a real, honest to goodness horror film, I became a bit more interested in checking it out. Then came the reviews. So many negative reviews. It seemed like everyone walked in with an expectation for something completely different than they got. I didn't know why so many people felt cheated and being a fan of the genre, it actually increased my interest in seeing it. Because of that, I tried to stay away from too many reviews, so I could eventually watch it with an unbiased pair of eyes. Then it became a waiting game. I wanted to let the hype die down and watch it in my own time. Last night, was that time....
From the beginning of the movie, you can tell that you're in for something completely different than you've seen before. It's one of the new crop of films taking an approach to movie making that uses modern technology to create something unique. Similar to the use of GoPro cameras to make first person story lines. This one utilizes Skype, Facebook, YouTube, Gmail and other web based applications, to learn about the suicide of Laura Barns, a teenager who kills herself after being bullied by all of her classmates. One by one, our 5 main characters die off, seemingly by their own hands. As the body count rises, so does the suspicions as to who may have been the one to post the original video that started off the whole chain of events. What sets this apart from your typical narrative is that in 'Unfriended', we see the entire story play out from the perspective of our main character, using her laptop screen. I think this is the main reason it lost the audience and caused so much of a negative backlash. Even in found footage films, there's a formula that's we've become familiar with and that people expect to see. This one took that in an entirely different direction and left people feeling alienated and confused. I, however, felt that this gave a fresh coat of paint on a subgenre that was in dire need of a remodel. That doesn't give it a pass though and style over substance is never a good idea.
Once again, Hollywood felt that it knew best, in terms of what horror fans were in need of. It started out with such promise and made me believe that maybe all the criticism was unwarranted. In the end, it fell back on the same old, tired and worn out cliches. The deaths got more and more silly as the movie went on and in the end, all the characters were so unlikable that you didn't even love to hate them. You just kind of felt like they were the kids you never really liked in the first place. Not too mention that, Laura Barns herself, was not all that likable. There was no one to root for. No one to represent us, the viewer. In the end, it felt like a mispent night on Chatroulette, but with a killer ghost at the end. I wish that this one had proven all the reviewers wrong. That it had just been misunderstood. Sadly, it didn't. 'Unfriended' was a good idea gone bad. A high concept horror movie, that took more than it gave. If you want to give it a shot, go for it, but keep your expectations low. Maybe it'll end up being more than a 2 out of 5 star movie for you, but for me.... I'm going to have to unfriend it. I'm probably going to block it too.
If you'd rather watch some decent found footage films, check out: 'Creep', 'V/H/S' or 'The Sacrament'
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