Half a dozen brattish kids of late-teenage years hook up to chat via their computer screens (all very free in employing frequent sexual expletives in their dialogue, of course) in the wake of one of their female friends having committed suicide as a result of being goaded on to do so by someone initially unidentified, each of the six claiming innocence of any involvement. A mysterious interloper logs into their conversation using the Facebook identity of the deceased, only typing his/her(?) contributions, while the others use both voice and keyboard. They can not only not identify this person using all the means available to computer whizz-kids that some of them are, but they can't shut out or get rid of him/her either (the 'Unfriended' of the film's title). The mysterious presence gradually gets more menacing and threatening, warning that revenge for what was done to the deceased will come to each of them unless they honestly answer all questions put to them, which reveals that maybe they're not quite as guiltless of the girl's death that they maintained they were. It's a familiar story of the elimination of each of the group one by one (despatched by varied grisly means), a formula that has been the staple of horror films for generations but here put in a refreshingly up-to-date setting - though we all know that this won't be the last of them!
It's an unknown cast (at least to me), as is director, Levan Gabriadze, but they're all strong and believeable.
I wasn't at all bored even though we've all seen this formula used numerous times in the past. One is constantly guessing who is going to be next? - and will anyone survive?
I suppose my main criticism is that the shock moments too often fall back on the old threadbare cliche of having a loud thud or thump on the soundtrack to ensure that one jumps in ones seat. I think it's a weakness in that one shouldn't need any such 'assistance' to be shocked. If the happening itself is effectively and unexpectedly depicted that should be enough to give one a jolt - and in most of the shock events here this does have all that, so there was no need to fall back on what has become an overused, cheapish trick. It's a shame because it could have stood on its own two feet without having to go to such resorts. But that aside, it was a pleasant surprise of a film (if this sort of horror is to your taste, that is).........................6.5.
Ray,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting film I would like to see. Like you, I am so tired of the cheap film tricks like when it rains, it always pours heavily in films (you'll never see a light, misty rain), whenever a vehicle enters a barnyard the chickens scatter (whatever happened to chicken houses?), and if there is a fruit or vegetable cart in a street scene, you just know there will be a chase and said cart will be overturned followed by much wailing of the vendor who owns the cart. Usually Hollywood scriptwriters are so predictable but maybe it's me, having lived too long to witness all these cheap tricks.
Ron
Ron, I had to laugh out loud at the film cliches you mention. You are absolutely correct and there are so many more. Talking of rain on film, why does it have to be dry one minute then a deluge of a downpour starts in seconds? - and always with a peal of thunder! British films set here also do that yet thunderstorms are such a rarity (perhaps one per year, two max) and last a matter of a few minutes, nearly always with its centre passing by in the distance. Yet you'd think they were a regular occurrence.
DeleteI look forward to seeing my first film where it drizzles, or just simply rains in moderation.
I think the more films one sees the more aware is of what they get up to and what one can expect, often just a shorthand for laziness.
This does sound like an interesting film;
ReplyDeleteI love a good horror film--not a blood-and-guts film--but true horror.
It's a bit different from anything that's gone before, Bob, though I know there'll be a lot more of this type coming out now that it's started.
DeleteMaybe this is a bit more blood-and-guts than genuine horror, as such, though the gory scenes are not over-dwelt on - and by it's nature we see none of them in close-up.
I've heard of this film but my initial reaction was that it would be a typical crappy teen-slasher-blood-fest. I'm delightfully surprised that you've said favorable things about it, and now I'm inspired to see it.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like the social media and other modern "technologies" have inspired a new genre for films. I've always enjoyed creepy films - and it looks like we've come a long way from "The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari"
Ray, your film reviews should definitely be published in newspapers. Your insight is much more keen than many of the idiot critics I knew in Hollywood.
That should be "Caligari" - - not "Calagari".
DeleteActually, Jon, a number of people might well think that this one fits into your initial sentence description. But I can't deny that it appealed to me, maybe because it did something novel with the genre, even though it was basically formulaic. You may well be disappointed - my own rating of 6.5 is higher than the average one on IMDb, but there you are!
DeleteOh, and thanks for what you say about my reviews but you really are TOO kind, and I mean just that!
DeleteFar too great a portion of my reviews is taken up by explaining what happens in any given film, while trying to avoid spoilers. There's too little time given to substantiate and justify my opinions. But they are honest, I will concede to that. If I don't like a film which has been lauded everywhere else I'll say so.
Btw: Yes, I got your mistyped 'Dr Caligari' the first time. ;-)
I think that I'm surprised that you like it Ray. When I read the reviews it seemed like perhaps it was trying too hard to be hip and relevant to todays social media crowd (not me obviously)! But I'm glad that it more than that.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, Craig, I'm starting to feel just a teeny but embarrassed to admit that I liked it. It ticked all the boxes one that one would expect, with, apart from its up-to-date format, very little beyond that. However, being the computer dummy that I am, part of my pleasure was in it being able to hold my attention throughout.
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