Unfriended was a surprisingly effective horror thriller beyond its gimmick of taking place entirely on a computer screen, and Unfriended: Dark Web is no different — and maybe even better.
It’s hard to believe the first Unfriended came out only four years ago because that technology on display already looks dated. It’s something you already notice in films and TV, but here, it’s front and center, so full attention to detail needs to be paid. And with the sequel, that level of attention to detail is immediately noticeable.
From the login screen of the Mac laptop to when it initially enters the home screen where Spotify auto-opens and Facebook and Google Drive pre-fill with login information — that all happens on this screen we’re watching.
This fresh laptop is acquired by 20-something Matias (Colin Woodell) from Craigslist, or so he says, but it turns out the real owner of the laptop is a nefarious dark web participant. It’s when Matias begins receiving ominous Facebook messages intended for the previous owner and discovers a mysterious app called “The River” installed on the laptop that he realizes by even booting up this laptop, he might be in over his head in something.
He joins his group of friends via Skype for a game night, which consists of conspiracy theorist AJ (Connor Del Rio), tech guru Damon (Andrew Lees), cool girl Lexx (Savira Windyani) and newly engaged couple Serena (Rebecca Rittenhouse) and Nari (Betty Gabriel of Get Out in her unforgettable turn).
As Matias digs deeper into the contents of this new laptop with his morbidly curious friends, he’s simultaneously trying to mend his relationship with girlfriend Amaya (Stephanie Nogueras) as they struggle with a communication barrier. Once Matias uncovers a hidden folder of snuff videos of young women, Matias realizes by even being witness to this, he and his friends are in imminent danger.
Unfriended: Dark Web is more a spiritual sequel to Unfriended as no original characters return from the first, and it seems to exist in an entirely different reality. There are no spectral hauntings this time around; the terror is completely reality-based with a crushingly bleak look at the Internet. Neither film has a bright outlook on humanity.
The first installment from director Leo Gabriadze, who introduced this style of storytelling on the big screen, showed us the impact of teen bullying. The bullied girl who ends up dying comes back to exact revenge from beyond the grave. Here, first-time director Stephen Susco takes it to the next level by kicking out the supernatural element to imply the real Internet we use everyday is even more terrifying. There’s a dark underbelly of humanity receiving great satisfaction with zero consequence from other people’s suffering.
If that sounds depressing, that’s because it is. But the film is still, in spite of its central theme, a fun and clever thrill ride. Susco gives every notification from the screen a sense of dread, from the ping of a Facebook message to the bloop of a new Skype caller. What makes this go-around perhaps even more effective is the thought, “This could really happen.”
Now, there’s no denying some aspects of the hacking tech may not be entirely based in reality. But the idea that people could always be watching through the little camera above your monitor, well, that’s not false.
There’s no beating the originality of Unfriended, but it’s very much a feat that this sequel is able to make the concept feel fresh all over again. And though the film touts an R-rating, the violence is minimal, and there isn’t an ounce of blood or gore. And the scares are even more effective thanks to that.
When we’re watching footage of what these hackers on the dark web are capable of, it creates a mechanism for nerve-jangling suspense and, since this is a horror flick after all, innovative and unexpected kills.
Unfriended: Dark Web has a disregard for any moment of reprieve from dread for both its characters and audience, and it’s impressive in just how unapologetically sinister it all is. And, turns out you’ll have to experience it twice because according to reports, it will have two separate endings playing theatrically, and there’s no telling which ending you’ll get.
We weren’t even told which ending we got at a preview screening, so that shows you just how far they’re willing to go to provide gleeful discomfort.
Grade: B+