Unfriended Review- a critique by Channel Awesome

Full-text transcript of the Unfriended movie review:

[00:00:00] Hey, guys, Dogwalker, here I am doing a fast review of a movie called Unfriended. This was apparently a pretty

[00:00:07] Big hit over the weekend, from what I heard. And a lot of people are talking about it. It’s a movie where it’s all done on Skype pretty much, and it’s all done just through like these little Web cameras and such.

[00:00:19] And there’s been some they’ve tried to do this. We saw one recently called the Den.

[00:00:24] That wasn’t good, wasn’t bad, but so did a lot of cheats, too. Like, you know, they take the camera everywhere, kind of like those found footage movies.

[00:00:33] But this one, it’s mostly just these kids on their Web cameras just looking at a screen. And that’s kind of it. And it’s surprisingly really different and really cleverly done. And it has great commentary and it’s really unique. But before I get into the detail of it, let me tell you the story about

[00:00:56] Buying the tickets to it, which I know doesn’t sound that riveting, but my wife and I were looking for a scary movie to see because she loves scary movies. But we so rarely see actual scary movies because there’s so few actual good ones out there. They’re scary.

[00:01:09] And this weekend there was two there is unfriended on this one called it

[00:01:12] Follows, which has like ninety five percent on Rotten Tomatoes. So we want to see this movie. There’s only one showtime. So we go, we try to get tickets, but it looks like there’s only one seat. There’s not too, even though we pay for it too. It’s like pick your seats, plural. And there’s only one show.

[00:01:26] And so we call a guy over like, hey, we get

[00:01:29] One of those movie thieves. We have to pick the seats ahead of time. And we said there’s only one seat, is there too, or

[00:01:34] Whatever it says, oh, you don’t want to see that movie it’s all about. And he proceeds to just totally ruin the film. Like give away what it’s about everything. And we both just kind of gave him this look like, well, thanks, we’ll probably never see that movie. And he’s just like, you know, oh, no problem. No problem. Like, you really

[00:01:52] Thought he saved us. So I just want to save you money, guys. It’s like, can you pay me the money I paid for this ticket then for ruining a film for me.

[00:02:00] So so we

[00:02:02] Were missing the show. Time for that because there was only one seat. So we saw on Friday we’re showing, OK, that’s camera second choice. So so we pick that.

[00:02:09] And like I said, we were kind of pleasantly surprised by it. It’s it’s one of those movies where

[00:02:17] It’s these, I think, five kids, five teenagers who are just

[00:02:21] Having a Skype chat about God knows

[00:02:24] What. At first I was like, this is unrealistic. Why would they just sit around and talk and not do anything? And then I remember their teens and I’m like, OK, this probably does happen.

[00:02:35] But yeah, so they’re sitting around just sort of talking, chatting, whatever. It’s mostly done from

[00:02:41] The screen of our one main character of our main character, this girl who was friends with this other girl who committed suicide. And it’s the one year anniversary, of course, and something is messing with their computers. There’s this person in the chat that’s not revealing who he or she is and they’re trying to get rid of them and they can’t get

[00:03:03] Rid of them. Then bugs start happening

[00:03:04] On their computers and things start going wrong and the glitch starts talking to them and starts manipulating them.

[00:03:10] And it’s it just sort of gets worse and worse and worse and eventually big shock.

[00:03:17] I mean, some of them start to get axed off and so forth.

[00:03:21] And it just sort of progresses from there. But it’s all done. What’s so clever about is that it is not that it’s all done online because like I said, that’s kind of been done before,

[00:03:31] Is it with this movie The

[00:03:32] Den? But with that movie, like if

[00:03:35] The person wanted to leave the house or if you want to film something, our phone or something like that, they would show it like from the phone or from at some point, like the characters capture it and like they put a camera on her hand, like it gets really forced and it gets into

[00:03:49] Like goofy

[00:03:50] Kidnappings and stuff like that. But there’s good stuff in there, too. I didn’t hate it,

[00:03:54] But this one’s really smart because it is just like the ultimate

[00:03:57] Minimalist. It’s just this girl’s computer screen. You see the music she picks. You see, you know, which person she wants to listen to. You see, when she music, you see when she looks up information and stuff.

[00:04:09] And it’s going to sound bizarre because, like the acting is fine. But the best actor

[00:04:14] In the movie really is The Arrow. It’s the computer arrow.

[00:04:18] As you see the franticness of her not knowing, it’s like, should I write this? Should I not write this? And they really know how to start with something so simple.

[00:04:27] It’s just a person they don’t recognize in a chat and have it just constantly escalate and get worse and worse because she’s talking to this person, you know, and then she writes something in the box, not sure if she should send it or not. And then the person on the other end responds to what you wrote in the box, even though she didn’t send it.

[00:04:43] So little touches like that are so smart. But the the great thing

[00:04:49] About this is I don’t think I’m really giving anything away by by saying this is kind of in the trailers.

[00:04:55] But is that all of these people, all of these characters?

[00:05:00] Are terrible people and

[00:05:02] Kind of the agenda that I got out of this, I thought was really friggin brilliant is that this is very much an anti

[00:05:09] Cyber bullying movie,

[00:05:12] But it’s done in a way that would actually speak to teens. Don’t get me wrong, all those videos where it shows someone that’s like looking

[00:05:21] Really sad to the camera and being like, you know, I was hurt, I was really offended and I don’t know what

[00:05:26] Was going on. It’s it’s all legit and it’s all real. And it’s like, dude, it’s terrible this show goes on. But I’m thinking if I was

[00:05:34] A snot nosed idiot troll, they like to go out and do this stuff, you

[00:05:38] Know, I’d be like, oh, look at that fucking pussy. We’re all going to make fun of them even more. This is a film that speaks to that kind of language, that really extreme don’t cry wolf

[00:05:50] Point of view.

[00:05:51] And it’s done from a horror film point of view and it’s done like really hardcore and it’s gory and it’s extreme. And like the deaths are really creative and silly and over-the-top, but it’s never to a point where it quite goes. It doesn’t quite go too far.

[00:06:05] It still keeps the fear and the build up right there in the room with them talking.

[00:06:11] And it’s one of those films where it just shows like my whole standpoint. I’m like,

[00:06:16] Whatever people that is cyberbully or trolls or whatever, I sort of have these two very opposite standpoints, you know, one is

[00:06:24] That, you know, if you’re really

[00:06:27] Trying to get the respect of these idiots, it’s just not worth it. If you could see half these people, you know, most of them are people that have, like, never let their basements, you know, don’t have a job and never slept with anybody else. Why would you want the respect of these people?

[00:06:42] But then the other angle that as well, which I kind of like even more, is that it says, OK, look, there’s going to be people out there who are going to act like idiots, but there is a price to pay for

[00:06:53] Living a life of idiocy. And that’s what I like about this film. It’s saying,

[00:06:57] Look, yeah, there’s going to be idiots out there and they’re going to say this kind of stuff. But you have to know there’s consequences to living like a dumb ass. There’s consequences to going out. You don’t give yourself a reprieve. There’s consequences

[00:07:11] To that. You know, you need

[00:07:12] To actually think in

[00:07:14] Order to survive. It’s a crazy thought.

[00:07:18] So I like that angle more. But it is it’s tougher to convey

[00:07:23] Because so many people are just like in a mindset. I, I need attention. I need to go get it as fast as I can to negative attention faster to get them than positive, sadly, because positive involves work, it wants to do that.

[00:07:37] So with that said, I love how these kids, they’re not the typical

[00:07:42] Sort of nerdy, geeky hackers. There’s only one. And that is I don’t want to say like I don’t want to say like a hole in the plot or anything, but it’s it’s totally possible that whatever a group of super pretty good looking athletic teens would have one person who is a friend who’s like really overweight, not the best looking, curly haired, dirty stoner hacker, a computer geek. But it’s unlikely it happens more in movies than I think in real life.

[00:08:16] But it’s totally possible. So it’s on the one hand, I’m like, this is a little weird, but, you know,

[00:08:21] You buy it, it’s fine because you need someone who’s a computer genius to show you can’t do this stuff.

[00:08:27] And but it shows because this is sort of what we’re discovering, too, even though it’s probably not as many, like there are just spoiled brats out there, again, just looking for attention. And sadly, the

[00:08:38] Internet’s just a really easy way to get this attention, you know, and let out their own insecurities or whatever, you know, without taking responsibility for it in this film and saying, hey, if you’re going to do this shit, you got to take the responsibility for it.

[00:08:53] But it does it all in a in a still a traditional horror film manner. That’s what’s so

[00:08:59] Wonderful about that. You can watch it and just enjoy it as a horror film.

[00:09:02] But in the back of your head, you’re sort of thinking, yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have picked

[00:09:07] On that one kid, you know, just for pretty much no reason. It’s a go kill yourself or something like that.

[00:09:14] So it’s because I mean, we’re we have seen and we’re going to see a

[00:09:18] Lot more videos about, you know, the trials and the terrible things about cyber bullying or just bullying in general.

[00:09:26] And trust me, when I say it’s not like stop those, it’s like, no, no, they’re they’re very

[00:09:31] Heartbreaking and they’re hard to watch.

[00:09:32] But at the same time,

[00:09:34] You have to try other avenues that can work. And I think this one to people who

[00:09:39] Do try this stuff, it would probably or even on the verge of kind of doing this stuff.

[00:09:44] This would probably speak a little closer because it’s just like a big budget, no basis for it.

[00:09:49] And it’s a it’s a horror film. So with that said, I’m not going to act

[00:09:54] Like this is the big now cyber bully is going to be gone. No baby will have no impact.

[00:09:59] At all, it’s just it’s a clever

[00:10:01] Attempt at doing this while also telling a good, scary story.

[00:10:07] But with that said, I have a

[00:10:09] Prediction for this movie. This is my guess. I think a lot of people are going to see it and they’re going to be like,

[00:10:14] Wow, this was great. This was really cool and trying different stuff and everything. And because of that, there’s going to be a lot of other

[00:10:21] People coming in, like try to nitpicked the problems with it. And it’s like they hear the hype.

[00:10:26] Oh, go ahead. And scary. Come on.

[00:10:29] And it’s if you’re going in with that attitude, you’re not going to like it because there are, you know, a lot of nitpicks with it that you can make fun of for the main character. Doesn’t know what a troll

[00:10:38] Is, what it’s one of those things where some of these setups are like, OK,

[00:10:44] You’re doing this for like the handful of people that don’t know some of these computer terms,

[00:10:49] Which seem silly anyway, because the whole movie is done from her screen. And if you don’t know computer stuff, you’re not going be able to follow all this stuff. And then she also doesn’t know

[00:10:59] How to play. I never it’s like,

[00:11:02] Who doesn’t know a what a troll is

[00:11:04] And B, how to play? I never it’s very bizarre. But again, they’re doing it, obviously, to explain to the audience that those scenes are kind of forced.

[00:11:14] And in terms of character, I mean, are you really

[00:11:18] Going in expecting like that much like of a psychological, you know, dive into when you go into a horror film, you know, pretty much a slasher film where people just get axed off one by one? Not really,

[00:11:31] But they’re totally serviceable and they’re decent actors. I was really amazed

[00:11:36] When this movie started and it’s just the girl talking to her boyfriend. And I’m like,

[00:11:41] I feel like I’m watching a conversation. This is really good. We’re like the first paranormal activity.

[00:11:46] I’m like I’m watching two actors.

[00:11:48] They’re trying their best

[00:11:49] To act realistic and read this script. But I’m watching two actors. I mean, there was never for a minute where I felt like I was watching real life,

[00:11:58] But these kids are pretty good once in a while.

[00:12:00] There’s something that’s a little for is, like I said, what’s a troll?

[00:12:04] But that’s mostly done really well. And another kind of complaint I have is that the build up in

[00:12:11] This movie is so great and they always know try calling the police and they show how that

[00:12:16] Doesn’t work. Well, try looking up, reporting in. They show how that doesn’t work. Every avenue they tried to do for the most part, they show how it can’t work.

[00:12:24] If someone tries to leave it, show what happens when someone tries to leave because it is a supernatural entity doing all this. So it’s like, you know, what, what what can this thing do? But but the downside of that, surprisingly

[00:12:40] For me anyway, there was no actual

[00:12:43] Scary imagery, the build up and all of it was amazing. Like I was laughing with joy throughout a lot of this because I loved the setups, you know, and, you know, that’s only there’s a camera in the corner and they don’t know what it is. And then, like, one of the people sits up and you see in the other camera him set up. It’s like, oh, my God, there’s somebody in that

[00:13:02] Room, the cameras in the room, you know, and you’re waiting for it to pay off. And they’re building it up and the person is getting closer and closer. You can hear the audience going like that. But then the actual payoff, the scary imagery that they cut to, if anything, is almost more funny than it is actually scary. They go more for the

[00:13:21] Gore and the creativity of the Gore than the actual scariness.

[00:13:26] And that’s kind of a letdown.

[00:13:27] I really wish they would go to the Paranormal Activity Roud, where it’s like they would show some really actually legitimately creepy imagery.

[00:13:36] And you can because there’s a supernatural thing going on, but they don’t. But the build up

[00:13:42] Is so great and the and the setups are so great.

[00:13:48] And this ghost, talk to them, has a sense of

[00:13:50] Humor, too, as like this really evil sense of humor. And it’s all done through the text.

[00:13:56] And it’s it’s just it’s so much fun to see in a funny way,

[00:14:01] Because all these people are such terrible people.

[00:14:03] It’s like you’re both kind of afraid for them, but you’re also kind of

[00:14:09] You’re enjoying them, see either get their comeuppance as well.

[00:14:12] So it’s a nice mix. You know, they’re just

[00:14:15] Teens as well.

[00:14:16] And they do stupid things that teens do. But you, again, like a lot of famous slasher

[00:14:22] Films, right? The thirteenth and all that stuff, you know, when they go and do stupid stuff,

[00:14:26] I mean, there’s consequences

[00:14:28] To it, too. And this is like the ultimate in your face, you know, consequences. It’s the boy who cried wolf.

[00:14:35] So, yeah, it’s I really enjoy the movie. There’s definitely some

[00:14:39] Problems I have with it, but they’re they’re not too bad. The scene where they had to do play, I never game goes on a bit, but

[00:14:47] The progression from

[00:14:48] Each scared to the next and the way they sort of pace it is so

[00:14:53] Nicely done. And I was never bored by it. I want to see what the next. What this ghost was going to do next, because the ghost has such this diabolical,

[00:15:04] Wicked way of of really torturing these people more psychologically than though you do get the gory as well.

[00:15:12] And like I say, is for something that’s a big issue right

[00:15:14] Now, cyber bullying. And it’s just it’s just so nice to see something that just goes like so extreme and so in your face. And, you know, whether or not will have that big an impact. I mean, my guess would be probably not.

[00:15:28] But it’s still it’s

[00:15:30] It’s so great to see. It’s so great to see someone that tries sort of this avenue of, you know, people that sort of use this extreme crazy, you know, in your face style, also combating it with this super extreme, crazy, in-your-face style.

[00:15:45] Oh, so, yeah, with that said, I don’t think it’s like a phenomenal masterpiece. Like I said, there’s no like there’s not any super great character

[00:15:55] Development or anything like that. And even the idea of sort of this online horror film, it’s kind of been done before, but it’s done so well here and it just sort of keeps adding twist after twist.

[00:16:07] But again, it’s if you look at the trailer and you’re like,

[00:16:12] I can’t do that. I can’t just look at the screens talking to each other and switching out and windows opening up and closing and reading text. If you can’t do that, it’s not going to sway you. This isn’t a movie that’s going to be like it’s

[00:16:25] So good it will win you over. Despite that, it’s no, it’s done

[00:16:29] Very well, but it is exactly that. It’s looking at these screens that freeze up and get the glitches. Sometimes that adds to the scary, you know, sort of the weird embedding like and I will be up here when the press is moving and then it’ll go to normal with the glitches and stuff.

[00:16:45] But but if you look at your just like, oh, this looks

[00:16:49] Creative and different to do. Let’s try it.

[00:16:53] It’s fun. It’s a really fun movie to check out. And that’s one of the reasons I did the vlog, is because I’m just over anything

[00:17:00] That’s trying something new and different. My big fear is that this does turn into kind of like a new found footage thing. I don’t really want to see like 20 other films trying this, and I get the feeling that’s going to happen.

[00:17:17] But, you know, now before that craze happens and before we all start saying, oh, God,

[00:17:23] It started with that unfriended movie as a piece of shit because it

[00:17:26] Started all this stuff, it’s like, no, I think it’s good to acknowledge now before

[00:17:30] That craze happens if it does happen.

[00:17:32] But this was a fun movie. It’s not like

[00:17:35] A super deep or meaningful movie, but it’s a good cautionary tale that speaks to a certain age, in my opinion, not being that age, but that try speaking to that age in a different way and in a fun way and in a way that you can watch it just as entertainment or you can watch it as, hey, there was a very obvious but good moral in here as well that, you know, is trying to be addressed right now. And it does it in a really fun, entertaining way. You know, I always say the best lessons are learned through fun, but it’s through something where it’s like you want to watch it, you want to participate in it because it’s fun, not because you feel like you have to, but because you want to. And that’s why I really like this movie, because it’s teaching a lesson you want to learn.

[00:18:19] You want to see

[00:18:20] These people get their asses handed to because they were so mean to this girl. And you want to see them, you know, get back, stab the same way they backstab her.

[00:18:28] So but at the same time, you know, they’re just teens. That’s like, hey, this this could kind of happen to you. You never know your insecurities. You know that I

[00:18:36] Was a teen, too, and we all had our insecurities and let it out on the wrong people.

[00:18:40] So it’s it’s it’s a really fun movie.

[00:18:43] And I definitely really, really enjoyed it.

[00:18:45] So, yeah, I don’t think it’s for everyone, but I think it’s for anyone that sees this. And it’s like, oh, that looks kind of fun.

[00:18:53] It’s more than kind of fun. It’s a lot of fun. If you’re willing to put up with nothing but screens and windows closing and opening up in a frantic arrow going, it does everything that you can with this scenario. They even sort of don’t do much of the walking around, like holding the camera. There’s like at one point one of the characters gets up and starts walking, holding the camera. I’m like, oh, my God, are we really doing this?

[00:19:16] But they don’t do it for very long. They sort of get rid of it pretty quickly.

[00:19:22] And there’s one or two things you can predict pretty fast. I mean, like there’s a character at some point, like whips out a gun, like as a joke, like,

[00:19:30] Oh, yeah, I haven’t got it.

[00:19:31] Well, I wonder what’s going to happen with that. There’s another one that has a knife that’s like, oh, well, gee, I wonder what’s going to happen with that.

[00:19:40] But for the most part I thought was pretty clever. I thought as these sort of slasher

[00:19:46] Slash supernatural movies go, this was really different and a lot of fun and cleverly done and a good moral.

[00:19:52] And yeah, like I said, I like anything that even if it’s just a little different or a lot

[00:19:58] Different, anything that. Just sort of mixes is up, mixes it up a bit and does it very cleverly. This is a very clever movie.

[00:20:04] So that’s about all my rambling I have. If you can go check it out, go check it out. Take care.