When I originally wrote reviews of Unfriended and The Den, I classified these films as found footage movies, which they are, but a more precise term would be screen casting, which I consider a subcategory of found footage films. I’m getting too old to keep up with technology, but it is when someone records what appears on the computer or smart phone screen. I didn’t even know that was possible so I only learned the term when I was reading about Searching, which I enjoyed in theaters. I suppose that I have a new guilty pleasure, but I regret indulging it by seeing Unfriended: Dark Web. If you liked Unfriended, I would avoid Unfriended: Dark Web, a standalone sequel and another screen casting film. In terms of cast, Unfriended: Dark Web’s characters are more likeable, but The Den has a better story.
Unfriended: Dark Web improved the accuracy in its depictions of various famous websites in comparison to the initial installment, and I actually liked the creepy audio departures to indicate that the dark webbers had invaded the main character’s virtual space. If you are watching this film at home, I cannot stress how much you should NOT watch this film at home. A majority of the film’s plot is typing on screen, but unlike the original movie, I could not read anything. It did not translate to the small screen so as if it isn’t bad enough that the movie already starts from a weaker position than its predecessor by being a sequel and derivative of an unknown, unenjoyable and unremarkable found footage movie, i.e. The Den, it further handicaps itself by not making sure that when it appears on a smaller screen, that viewers won’t miss a majority of the dialogue. Initially I tried to stop the film and zoom in to read the words on screen, but then I gave up because it was not even worth the effort. I flushed ninety-two minutes of my life down the toilet. In my notes, I actually wrote, “How is it possible that this is worse [than The Den]?” It isn’t even so bad that it is good.
The premise of the Unfriended franchise is similar to Speed, but instead of not being able to slow down, you can’t leave your screen or someone will die, but if you don’t leave your screen, you’ll die anyway so if you are in the movie, you’re in trouble. Sucks to be you. The main difference with the two movies is the reason that the characters are in peril.
I’m annoyed that Unfriended: Dark Web threw out the supernatural elements of its predecessor. The mashup of technology with the idea of timeless vengeful spirits was a brilliant amalgamation whereas this premise is disappointingly rooted in the real world. A guy who works at a coffee shop, gets a better laptop so he can connect with his girlfriend. When the first night that he uses the laptop coincides with virtual game night, he and his friends get drawn into *gasp* the dark web where all sorts of nefarious things occur. Most of the friends live nearby though one person lives across the pond, but no one wants to leave their house and gather in person, which seems like the most realistic part of this film. The sinister instructions of a shady character actually leads to an improvement in his relationship with his girlfriend, which made me want to punch the air, but make him a bad friend. Each maneuver leads his friends to question whether he is a sick individual, but not enough that they actually disassociate with him, which seems like not such a huge leap if you’re not willing to see him in person. I love my friends, but I’m not Jesus. I’m probably not dying for my friends’ significant others. I’m sorry, but when my mom goes to investigate a strange noise in the hall, I lock the door behind her after telling her not to go outside. Who is going to call the police and relay what happened if we both die?
Shout out to Nari, played by Get Out and Upgrade’s Betty Gabriel, a Blumhouse horror staple. She is the only character that figured out that she was in over her head and suspicious from the beginning. I thought that choice was a no brainer, but most people panic when under pressure. Unlike The Den, the dark web shenanigans seem more outlandish. A group of people who get off on murdering and watching murder seemed more plausible than a group that does it, but likes to ruin its victims’ characters to cover their tracks. The sheer number of participants and their lack of relationship to their victims should be enough to confound any investigation. No one is investigating cases that hard. Also when a sinister person reveals himself, he is anticlimactic and does not seem capable of rising to the level that he did. At least The Den kept its crew masked and feeling like insurmountable replaceable numbers of killers whereas these killers deflated in the light.
There is no reason to watch Unfriended: Dark Web. If you’re bored, do anything else. If you like the actors, find out other movies that they appear in and support their career by watching them in other films. If you are intrigued by the movie’s premise, watch all the others that I referenced in this film. It has little to no redeemable qualities.