Lexi Webster
The 2014 horror film Unfriended is rated R in Australia for violent content, pervasive language, some sexuality, and drug and alcohol use—all involving teens. The film takes place almost entirely on a computer screen, using Skype webcam chats, Facebook messages, text messages, YouTube videos, and Spotify music. It follows a group of teenagers who are stalked by an unseen figure who seeks vengeance for a shaming video that led a girl to kill herself a year earlier. The film has been praised for its innovative approach and attempts to address cyberbullying, but criticized for its lack of depth and over-the-top characters.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 82 minutes |
| Rating | R |
| Reason for Rating | Violent content, pervasive language, some sexuality, and drug and alcohol use involving teens |
| Genre | Horror |
| Sub-genre | Found footage |
| Premise | A group of friends is stalked by an unseen figure via their computer screens, seeking vengeance for a shaming video that led to a girl's suicide |
| Reviews | Mixed |
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What You'll Learn
- 'Unfriended' is rated R in Australia due to violent content, language, sexuality, and drug and alcohol use
- The movie is about cyberbullying and its consequences, including teen suicide
- It unfolds over a teenager's computer screen, using Skype, Facebook, text messages, and YouTube videos
- The movie is an innovative approach to storytelling, but it's also limiting and loses some of its grounding
- 'Unfriended' is an effective horror film with major flaws, and an interesting concept for a franchise
'Unfriended' is rated R in Australia due to violent content, language, sexuality, and drug and alcohol use
The 2014 horror film Unfriended has been rated R in Australia due to violent content, language, sexuality, and drug and alcohol use. The film takes place via a computer screen, using Skype webcam chats, Facebook messages, text messages, YouTube videos, and Spotify music. It follows a group of teenagers who are stalked by an unseen figure, who is seeking revenge for a shaming video that led a girl to kill herself.
The film contains scenes of physical and psychological torment and humiliation, disturbing and gory images, and instances of forced suicide. There are also scenes of blood and gore, including a suicide by shooting, a stabbing, and a scene in which a woman has a burning object protruding from her mouth. The language used in the film is pervasive and frequent, with 157 uses of the f-word and 32 uses of sh-t, as well as other swear words.
In addition, the film depicts hard drug and alcohol use by teenagers, with brief uses of drugs, references to drug use, and displays of alcoholic consumption. There are also sexual references and scenes of a sexual nature, including a striptease and a video of a teenage girl drunk at a party, which ends with her passing out and defecating herself. Given the violent content, language, sexuality, and drug and alcohol use involving teens, it is clear why Unfriended has been rated R in Australia.
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The movie is about cyberbullying and its consequences, including teen suicide
The 2014 American supernatural horror film "Unfriended" (originally titled "Cybernatural") explores the dark side of the internet and the consequences of cyberbullying. The film is set entirely on a computer screen, following six high school students in a Skype conversation on the anniversary of a fellow student's suicide. The student, Laura Barns, killed herself after an embarrassing video of her was posted online. The film's unique perspective unfolds through the eyes of one of the students, as a mysterious entity joins their Skype call and begins coercing secrets out of them, leading to gory revenge.
"Unfriended" serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of cyberbullying and the serious impact it can have on individuals, especially within the intense environment of high school. The film's innovative approach captures the modern digital experience, showcasing realistic online interactions through Skype webcam chats, Facebook messages, text messages, YouTube videos, and Spotify music. It reflects the growing influence of the virtual world and how it shapes our behaviour and communication.
The film received mixed-to-positive reviews, with some praising its interpretation of growing up in the internet age and its clever approach to storytelling. British film critic Mark Kermode noted that the film understands Skyping culture and cyberbullying, stating that it highlights how cyberbullying only works if the victim cooperates. However, some critics felt that the film's premise was limited by its screen-only perspective and that the supernatural elements detracted from the impact of its social message.
"Unfriended" gained attention for its unique filming style, with executive producer Jason Blum describing it as a "screenshot movie." The film's producer, Timur Bekmambetov, believed that this style of filmmaking would become more prevalent as the world becomes increasingly digital. "Unfriended" effectively utilised its low budget and limited resources, with director Levan Gabriadze creating suspense through the sounds of frantic clicking and keyboard clacking.
Overall, "Unfriended" is a bold exploration of cyberbullying and its potential consequences, including teen suicide. While it may have flaws, the film delivers a chilling tale that captures the attention of its audience, leaving a lasting impression of the dangers that lurk in the digital world.
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It unfolds over a teenager's computer screen, using Skype, Facebook, text messages, and YouTube videos
The 2014 American supernatural horror film "Unfriended" (originally titled "Cybernatural") is told almost entirely through a screencast of a MacBook. The film follows six high school students in a Skype conversation, one of whom is haunted by the ghost of a student who was bullied by them and committed suicide. The narrative unfolds on a teenager's computer screen, utilising modern networking platforms such as Skype, Facebook, iMessage, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.
The film begins with the protagonist, Blaire Lily, viewing a video of Laura Barns' suicide on LiveLeak. As the story progresses, the characters receive messages from Laura's Facebook account, and they are unable to unfriend or block her. They resort to turning her account into a memorial page. The group also uses Skype to communicate and share their screens, revealing disturbing images and videos. Through Skype, they witness their friends' environments and the supernatural occurrences happening around them.
Additionally, the film incorporates other popular apps and websites such as Gmail, Google, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify. For instance, Blaire uses Google to look up police codes when she hears officers entering Val's house. The integration of these platforms enhances the modern digital experience that the film captures.
"Unfriended" received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. While some praised its innovative approach and effective horror, others found the characters obnoxious and the supernatural elements less convincing. The film was rated R for violent content, pervasive language, sexuality, and drug and alcohol use involving teens.
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The movie is an innovative approach to storytelling, but it's also limiting and loses some of its grounding
The 2014 horror film "Unfriended" is an innovative approach to storytelling, as it unfolds entirely on a teenager's computer screen, integrating various platforms such as Skype, Facebook, text messages, YouTube, and Spotify. This narrative style captures the modern digital experience and adds to the suspense of the film.
However, while the first act effectively sets up tension and showcases realistic online interactions, the transition into supernatural horror causes the movie to lose some of its grounding. The ghost revenge angle feels less convincing, and the integration of supernatural elements doesn't fully sell the scares. The characters' interactions and behaviours, which start off realistic, become less believable as the story progresses, and the film leans more heavily into horror tropes.
The movie has been described as "simultaneously clever and exasperating", with its novel spin on the horror genre. It effectively addresses the dark side of the internet, including cyberbullying, and the impact of technology on modern life. However, the heavy focus on the computer screen as the sole narrative device may limit the storytelling in some regards, as it constrains the visual scope and the development of certain scenes.
Despite its limitations, "Unfriended" is a bold experiment in horror filmmaking. It explores relevant themes and manages to build tension and suspense within its chosen framework. The integration of music and visuals from playlists is particularly praised as a clever and enjoyable touch. While the film may not be a groundbreaker, it is an interesting and unique take on the horror genre, even if it doesn't quite reach the heights of a truly great horror film.
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'Unfriended' is an effective horror film with major flaws, and an interesting concept for a franchise
Unfriended is an innovative horror film that unfolds entirely on a teenager's computer screen, an ambitious interpretation of what it means to grow up with and live on the internet. The film is effective in capturing the modern digital experience, using various platforms such as Skype, Facebook, text messages, YouTube, and Spotify. This unique approach adds to the suspense and makes the film quite gripping and chilling.
However, despite its clever premise and successful experimentation, Unfriended has its flaws. The characters are obnoxious and one-dimensional, making it challenging for the audience to emotionally invest in their plight. As the film progresses into supernatural horror, it loses some of its grounding, and the ghost revenge angle feels less convincing. The integration of music and visuals is well-done, but the film lacks the depth needed to elevate it to a truly great horror film.
The film's treatment of cyberbullying and its impact is thought-provoking, but the heavy focus on violent and disturbing content, pervasive language, sexuality, and drug and alcohol use involving teens may be off-putting to some viewers. The film has been rated R for these reasons.
Despite its flaws, Unfriended presents an interesting concept for a franchise. The idea of exploring horror through the lens of modern technology and digital communication is intriguing and offers a novel spin on the traditional horror genre. The film's attempt to blend the supernatural with the everyday digital experience is ambitious and showcases the potential for further exploration and innovation in future instalments.
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Frequently asked questions
Unfriended is rated R in Australia for violent content, pervasive language, some sexuality, and drug and alcohol use - all involving teens.
Unfriended is a horror movie that unfolds over a teenager's computer screen as she and her friends are stalked by an unseen figure who seeks vengeance for a shaming video that led a girl to kill herself a year earlier.
The movie includes scenes of physical and psychological torment/humiliation, disturbing images, gore, and suicide. It also includes 157 uses of the f-word, 32 uses of sh-t, 16 uses of a-s, and 10 uses of b-tch.
The movie includes references to sex and photos of teens having sex. It also includes scenes of teens drinking and getting drunk, as well as references to and photos of teens using drugs.
