Unfriended
| Unfriended | |
|---|---|
| File:Cybernatural 2014 poster.jpg Poster showing the original name of Cybernatural | |
| Directed by | Levan Gabriadze |
| Written by | Nelson Greaves |
| Produced by | Timur Bekmambetov |
| Starring | Shelley Hennig Renee Olstead Jacob Wysocki William Peltz |
| Cinematography | Adam Sidman |
| Edited by | Parker Laramie |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Unfriended (also known under its working title of Offline and originally released as Cybernatural) is a 2014 supernatural horror film that was directed by Levan Gabriadze.[1][2][3] The movie had its world premiere on July 20, 2014 at the Fantasia Festival and stars Shelley Hennig as one of several people terrorized by an anonymous person online.[4]
Synopsis
One year ago, Laura Barnes (Heather Sossaman) decided to commit suicide due to ridicule received over an embarrassing video of her passed out at a party. Six of her classmates were especially horrible in their treatment of her, as they were unpopular and Laura was the most popular girl in school. Tonight, those same six classmates have decided to get together to talk with one another via Skype, but are ill-prepared when an uninvited seventh person logs onto their Skype chat and shows that they know quite a bit about the prior year's events. The unknown person threatens the group and states that if they log out or stop talking, someone will die. As the chat progresses, the truth about who posted the video begins to emerge and other secrets are revealed.
Cast
- Hira Jamaal Siddiqui as Blaire
- Bilal Smarty as Jess
- Mohammad Waqar as Ken
- Adil Ahmed Sheikh Khalifa as Adam
- Ali Khurram Rathore as Val
- Heather Sossaman as Laura
- Shaheer Gharay as Mitch
- Matthew Bohrer as Matt
- Mickey River as Chatroulette Stoner
- Cal Barnes as Chatroulette Stoner
Reception
Critical reception for Unfriended has been predominantly positive.[5][6] Common praise for the film centered upon its acting and visuals,[7] and Twitch Film commented that the film was an "interesting look at modern methods of communication and the ramifications of the new normal of always-on social interaction."[8] Variety commented that while the film was "exasperating" at points, they also felt that it was clever and innovative.[9] Dread Central also praised the film overall, but stated that they felt that the movie's one major flaw was "the fashion in which we are trafficked to each scare- through multi-screen clicking, copying, pasting and re-sizing, basically all-around multi-tasking. It can be trying to sit through and I liken it to sitting over someone's shoulder watching them web-surf... endlessly."[10]
Awards
- Most Innovative Film at the Fantasia Film Festival (2014, won)[11]
- Special Mention: Feature Film at the Fantasia Film Festival (2014, won)[11]
References
- ^ Miller, Ryan. "Levan Gabriadze's Cybernatural gets a title change". JoBlo. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
- ^ Hunter, Rob. "'Cybernatural' Review Fantasia 2014: Because 'Ghost in the Machine' Was Already Taken". Film School Rejects. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Davis, Edward. "Fantasia Exclusive: Horror Goes Online In Trailer For 'Cybernatural' Produced By Timur Bekmambetov". IndieWire. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ "Cybernatural". Fantasia Festival. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Gingold, Michael. ""CYBERNATURAL" (Fantasia Movie Review)". Fangoria. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Turek, Ryan. "Fantasia Capsule Reviews: Animosity, Closer to God, Cybernatural, Dys-". STYD. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Marsh, Calum. "Fantasia International Film Festival 2014: Starry Eyes and Cybernatural". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Gorber, Jason. "Fantasia 2014 Review: CYBERNATURAL". Twitch Film. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Debruge, Peter. "Film Review: 'Cybernatural'". Variety. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Boiselle, Matt. "Cybernatural (review)". Dread Central. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ a b Mack, Andrew. "Fantasia 2014: Award Winners Announced". Twitch Film. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
External links
- Unfriended at IMDb