7.5/10 Skype Calls.
The social media oriented thriller “Unfriended,” directed by Levan Gabriadze, is a movie for any tech-savvy young adult to enjoy.
Opening up with a $16 million box office earning for its opening weekend, “Unfriended,” fell short to “Furious 7,” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.”
The movie’s premise itself is typical: a ghost of a recently deceased friend comes back to force information out about the event that caused her to commit suicide.
Posted on YouTube is a video of Laura Barns (Heather Sossaman), which highlights the excessive online abuse that Laura witnessed up until her suicide. Even Laura’s suicide was filmed and released to the public.
As the cast dwindles, the case for much of the horror genre, more information begins to unravel.
The real brilliance of the film comes from the way it is structured. The entire movie is revealed throughout an electronic outlet. It appears as if the film is shown in real-time from the screen of a Mac.
The detail of the electronic devices is aesthetically pleasing. The notification center, and the way that the characters handle the electronics is all very familiar.
Anyone in the audience can connect with the characters more because they are not typing 103 words per minute with no errors. The characters are visibly making errors, or changing their minds about what they wish to say.
It is almost like “Buried,” starring Ryan Reynolds, where the film never leaves the coffin that the leading character is stuck in as he searches for help.
Online harassment awareness is another great side to this film. The representation of the relentless remarks said about Laura that led up to her suicide is completely accurate.
Any YouTube surfer scrolling through the comments of Trish Paytas’ channel “blndsunfol4mj,” can see that people are not typically kind when posting online comments.
The film also sets priorities for its environment. It does a wonderful job of understanding who the audience is, and what youth is involved in.
By implementing a social media element into the film that is constantly there, it is engaging the audience on a more understanding level.
Even though the story is not completely original, it is still an entertaining film. It is captivating, and hard to look away from. Any lover of modern technology will enjoy this film just for the cathartic experience of the notification center.