After obtaining a new laptop, Matias is contacted by its previous owner who wants it back...or he and his friends will pay the consequences...
The 2014 film Unfriended turned out to be a welcome surprise. Telling the whole story from the point of view of a laptop display, it was a terrific little tale of revenge, with a supernatural edge. This new Unfriended film, subtitled Dark Web, is not a sequel to the first. It's story is unconnected to it at all.
While it does come from the same point of view, a laptop display, this film dispenses with the supernatural aspect, as the threat is more 'real' here. It has been mentioned on the news, but the so-called Dark Web, where allegedly you can find anything criminal or even terrorist related is something considered real by experts, but I can't think of many films that have explored it to any degree. Unfriended Dark Web dips its toes into that part of the internet and, well, it's not a pleasant place.
Story-wise, the film does share the same format as the first in that it follows friends on a group chat who get caught in events due to actions of one of them. As mentioned, it forgoes the supernatural aspect of the first, instead the threat is more real. However, at times you do think there is a supernatural aspect going on, when you consider how spread out the friends are around the country, or in one case, another country. Also there is how the technology digitally blurs the figure at times. It's only towards the end, you fully realise it's not suprernatural, but, well...something else.
That being said, I don't think the story of the film, when it reaches the end fully works. I do think it relies on too many coincidences to fully work, which the first one overcame with the supernatural aspect. The film does owe a small debt, to the British horror film, The Last Horror Film, with regards to a late development.
However, where the film excels, and this might make me even odder than I am (!), is how cruel and cold it is. On some posters and advertising the film is described as the 'most evil film Blumhouse has made.' I can see why. The cruelty shown to some characters adds to the emotional aspect of the story, one character forced to make a heartbreaking decision for example, as does events towards the end.
Writer and director Stephen Susco directs the film, his debut, better I feel than he writes it. For a film that takes place all on one display, it does manage to achieve some not bad jump scares, even if it's not a particularly scary film. I'd go so far to say it's more thriller than horror, but it is a mostly effective one.
The cast, unknowns to me, are pretty good. The film doesn't overstay its welcome, and the ending, while perhaps one you see coming to a degree, works well. That being said, it should be pointed out that there are TWO endings to the film. Apparently both endings are available in cinemas but there is no way to tell which one you will get. I got curious about the other ending, the one I didn't see and I have to admit, of the two endings, it sounds like the better of the two, even if it too is cruel, one I'd love to see how it plays in the film. May have to wait until the DVD/Blu-Ray release to see that.
Although I think the first Unfriended film is the better, there was enough in Dark Web to enjoy and make it worth a watch. As a variation of sorts on a found footage type of film, I liked it a lot and if they decide to make another film in the series, I hope like they did with this one, they come up with a new story rather than continue this one as I like how each is different.
In the meantime, Unfriended: Dark Web is worth a look.
Rating: 3/5
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