I’ve never been a big fan of Skype, and after watching “Unfriended” that was released April 17, I’m never using Skype again.
Unlike most first person or point of view shot movies, “Unfriended” is shot only through what the Skype chat cameras and the main character’s laptop can see. Shooting in this fashion introduces a unique theme to the movie: Everything can be seen on social media.
The movie begins with short clips of a video that went viral of Laura Barnes belligerent drunk at a party. According to the story after the video was posted, Laura was bullied in person, social media and texting to the point of suicide by gunshot. Now, it’s a year after her death and six friends, Blaire, Mitch, Jess, Adam, Ken and Val, are on Skype chat and all have secrets they’re hiding.
When an unknown Skype account joins the friends’ Skype call and can’t be kicked out, the friends brush it off as a hacker. However, it’s not until Laura starts messaging all of them from Facebook asking questions about “her” death that the friends become paranoid.
The main character, Blaire and her boyfriend, Mitch, find an article online about contacting dead spirits over the Internet. They find out if you respond to the spirit, it will possess you and force you to commit suicide unless you admit to your wrongs.
This mysterious entity is determined to find out who posted the video, and through sadistic, murderous games, it uncovers the truth. Everyone has secrets, but which will those secrets be carried to the grave? The more important question, however, is who posted the video?