UNFRIENDED   2.5***

 

       Unfriended is about a group of teenagers whose normal social life on Skype (  video chatting  from computers, tablets, and mobile devices via the Internet) turns in a nightmare when a possessed Skype account begins making threats. Exactly one year earlier, a girl named Laura Barns committed suicide after an embarrassing video of her was anonymously posted on YouTube. These friends discover that the account being used belongs to the late Laura herself. After making some threats, "Laura" warns that she'll begin killing them if secrets aren't revealed and if justice isn't served. Unfriended takes a whole new approach to horror storytelling with the entire film being "set" and shown on a computer screen. It’s a strange approach but works well. It's a very gripping concept, and while we're all expecting jump scares, which do happen about once or twice, the tension builds up like all good horror films should...slowly and naturally.

 

The tension grows from  the scary feeling of a supernatural presence as well as some well-constructed creepiness, including Laura possibly being in one of the friends' rooms. Laura's threats progress into a game that brings up and reveals all kinds of rumors and secrets that this close group of friends have kept from one another. Although these characters aren't too thickly drawn, watching the truth unfold is disturbing and tension building. The fear is further heightened with  believable acting by a diverse group of unknowns….diverse in the sense of personalities.

 

The route the filmmakers take to tell their story is admittedly restrictive— we cannot see beyond the confines of what is happening on the computer screen, but they use this to its fullest potential and manage to weave in some memorable scenes. Redundancy does become an issue as the film chugs forward in its early stages. But in the special techno-world of gossipy high schoolers , it is believable. All of the actors  give fine performances, especially within the restrictions of the format.
 

Overall, "Unfriended", while not a slam dunk for the horror genre, is mildly inventive and there is enough creativity and craft to be mildly appreciated.

 

Clark