‘Unfriended’ brings the ghost story into the 21st century like no other building on a reliability in modern traditions that will haunt the memory boxes in the future. In it’s short running time, and limited camera angles, it manages to tell a gripping story all restricted to the screen of a laptop.

 

Using the screen grab from Blaire’s computer during an investigation around the death of her friend Laura Barns a year earlier, she’s quickly interrupted by her boyfriend Mitch and their clan of friends catching a late night conversation. Unfortunately an unknown party joins and it’s suspicious silence soon breaks when it starts to imitate their deceased friend.

 

For those that have seen ‘The Den’ will know what to expect here and the format of screen grabbing a feature film was brilliantly portrayed in the 2013 thriller. It’s difficult to not compare them due to their nature but both films feel worlds apart with ‘The Den’ playing to the ‘Hostel’ fans and ‘Unfriended’ feels like a modern day ‘Friday the 13th’ mixed with ‘Pretty Little Liars’. That shouldn’t work but manages so well and marks itself as the reference point to horror for the new generation, none of this remake to emulate bullshit.

 

Refreshingly, director Levan Gabriadze opts to use real social media (if you don’t believe us, search for Laura Barns on Facebook) creating a world that feels real despite its paranormal intents.

 

Each moment captured on the skype screen is believable and when one by one the five friends end up dead (all caught on screen to gruesome effect), the disturbing motives behind the hijacker soon become apparent.

 

Shelley Hennig hits the top note as the innocent coordinator of events but each of the teens deliver a great cast and it’s hard to contest life with friends like these. What starts of as a cosy gathering soon turns into chaos as “Laura Barns” tightens the knot on their friendship and each taking the bait making the revelations become an event to watch.

 

Impressively this was shot in one house and in one straight shoot, from Nelson Greaves brilliantly written script to Gabriadze’s visual flair, it’s impossible not to enjoy this slasher in a computer screen. Already commissioned for a sequel, it’s difficult to see where the series can go but if it’s even half as good as this, then the horror community have just found their modern urban legend.

 

Director: Levan Gabriadze

Released: 2015

Running Time: 83 minutes

Age Rating: 15

 

Reviewer: Martyn Wakefield