It’s been a while since I watched a horror film that felt genuinely innovative – but Unfriended certainly achieves that.
Over the past decade or so the market has been flooded with Blair Witch Project-style “found footage” or Saw-like “horror porn” – and both are wearing a little thin.
With that in mind, Levan “Leo” Gabriadze’s Unfriended is something of a surprise. I’ve certainly never watched a film that takes place on a computer screen, but the entire 1.23hour running time is shown as if you were looking at one.
Taking place exactly a year after their friend Laura committed suicide, Blaire (Shelley Hennig) and her friends Mitch (Moses Storm), Adam (Will Peltz), Val (Courtney Halverson), Jess (Renee Olstead) and Ken (Jacob Wysocki) are doing what teenagers do – Skyping, Facebooking and iMessaging.
They aren’t the most likeable of people, but you’ll probably begin rooting for Blaire a little when a strange internet presence – claiming to be the late Laura – begins messing with them.
Be it forcing them to reveal damaging secrets or posting hateful things about them on Facebook, the internet stalker has them all pretty freaked out. It turns out that most of the group have wronged the late Laura in one way or another – and payback is pretty brutal.
That being said, I did feel like the main scenes of horror weren’t all that graphic or scary, which probably would have elevated Unfriended up a few notches.
What was most impressive, though, is just how relevant this film is. Being hacked or trolled online is never a nice experience – and Unfriended plays on those fears… and then some.
I won’t pretend that there is masterful acting or great special effects here. But for originality alone, this is well worth a watch.
Voice Verdict: 7/10
+ Fresh and relevant concept
+ Holds your attention
– Not actually that scary or graphic
This week’s showtimes
West End Cinema, Boston (Fri, May 8 to Thurs, May 14)
Box office: 01205 363634
Web: www.westendcinema.co.uk/SavoyBoston
LIVE EVENT
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE – MAN AND SUPERMAN (12A)
7pm (Thurs)
FILMS SHOWING
**MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 3D (15)
8pm (Thurs)
**AGE OF ADALINE (12A)
1.40pm (Sat/Sun/Weds), 6pm (daily), 8.30pm (daily)
**SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD (15)
1.45pm (Wed), 4pm (daily), 6.20pm (daily), 8.45pm (daily)
**BIG GAME (12A)
10am (Sat), noon (Sat/Sun), 2.10pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed), 4.20pm (daily), 6.30pm (Mon-Wed)
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 3D (12A)
1.30pm (Sat/Sun/Weds), 5pm (Thurs), 8pm (not Thurs)
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 2D (12A)
10.30am (Sat/Sun), 2.30pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Weds), 5.45pm (daily)
FAST & FURIOUS 7 (12A)
2.45pm (Sat/Sun), 5pm (not Thurs)
UNFRIENDED (15)
6.30pm (Fri-Sun), 8.45pm (not Thurs)
FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (12A)
8.40pm (daily)
KIDS’ CLUB
Sat/Sun 10.30am – Paddington (PG)
SILVER SCREEN
Wed 11.30am – Far from the Madding Crowd (12A)
** free list suspended
Spalding’s South Holland Centre
(Fri, May 8 to Thurs, May 14)
Box office: 01775 764777
Web: www.southhollandcentre.co.uk
WOMAN IN GOLD (12A)
2pm (Tues, Wed, Thurs), 7.30pm (Fri, Sat, Tues)
FAIRYTALE: STORY OF THE SEVEN DWARVES (PG)
2pm (Sat)
A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE (12A)
7.30pm (Mon)
