Moments after seeing Unfriended: Dark Web, I opened my phone to learn that James Gunn had been fired from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. Of course, I was upset and baffled, which I've written about at length already. But there is a certain level of horrible irony to seeing a famous figure get fired for tweets, literally right after watching a movie about malicious figures using the internet against people. It's cruel.
And undeniably fitting for this film. Unfriended: Dark Web is a relentlessly vicious horror movie, maybe even needlessly so. After 2015's Unfriended (which I never actually saw), this is another experiment in cinematic terror through viral means, using the platforms of the internet as vessels for gruesome, disturbing thrills. Set entirely in the world of Skype and Facebook Live, it's one of those movies where you just know things aren't going to end well for any of the characters. Death is coming, and it won't be pretty.
But in the hands of writer/director Stephen Susco, Dark Web is unconventionally gripping, employing its concept in a way that feels sharp and frightening. The film starts rather inconspicuously with Matias (Colin Woodell) trying to crack the password for his new laptop, which he claims he bought on CraigsList. His girlfriend Amaya (Stephanie Nogueras) is deaf, a complication to their relationship that has put a lot of stress on Matias over the years. Even with a fancy computer program that records various ASL signs, he struggles to genuinely communicate with Amaya, often making her feel distant and cold. As Matias and the love of his life fight, their other friends get together for a fun game night over Skype. Matias joins them, but Amaya does not. And then things get wild....
Let's introduce the other players. There's Serena (Rebecca Rittenhouse) and Nari (Betty Gabriel), a young couple who just announced their engagement. There's AJ (Connor Del Rio), the resident loudmouth of the group and a hardcore conspiracy theorist to boot. Lex (Savira Windyani) is a DJ on the other side of town, living just far enough away to make get-togethers difficult. And finally, there's Damon, a British computer expert who lives across the pond.
Back to the story. Matias quickly experiences laptop difficulties, trying everything he can to keep his splashy new device from crashing over and over. With a little help from Damon, Matias uncovers a hard drive full of hidden material, loaded with disturbing videos and secret pathways to the dark web. As Matias digs deeper into the contents of his new device (still think he got it on CraigsList?), he discovers a never-ending trail of horrifying secrets- and eventually connects to the laptop's original owner. With threats from the mysterious Charon IV and the dangerous organization of dark web actors, Matias is forced to keep his friends safe as death encroaches from every side.
An entire movie that only uses a variety of webcams feels hopelessly gimmicky, but Dark Web actually utilizes this framework quite well. Deprived of a bombastic musical score or the potential for any serious jump scares, Susco is forced to lean into the story itself, adding a certain level of depth to each character/victim and tossing in a dash of seriously terrifying content for good measure. We see Matias delve deeper into this world of pure evil, as something even scarier lurks around each and every new corner. There's real momentum to the story as it continues, a sense of ever-increasing dread that keeps you hooked.
As the cherry on top, Dark Web is the rare horror film that creates scares mainly from what is said rather than what's shown. Susco understands the vile territory he's entering, and he smartly avoids anything resembling a gore fest. Instead, he lets the viewer's imagination do the work, throwing out vague concepts and ominous videos without expanding on much graphic detail. If you're a bloodthirsty horror fan, don't worry, there is plenty of violence in this nasty little film. But by sparing us of the minutia of this carnage, Dark Web actually maximizes its impact through a tricky balancing act of ambiguity and genuine scares.
The cast is likable as well, which helps when you're making a movie where a bunch of Millenials are killed for no real reason. Like I said- this whole thing is very cruel. The only one who maybe deserves what's coming to him in traditional horror movie terms is Colin Woodell's Matias, who "finds" a laptop and gets his friends into a big mess. Everyone else is just along for the ride, and Susco does a good job of generating real fear when you know someone is about to get picked off. None of these performances are standouts, but every member of the cast does solid work, giving their characters each a strong and distinct personality. It's simple yet effective, working well with Susco's concept.
It's worth noting that Dark Web actually has two endings, and there's really no way of knowing which one you'll see. I read up on the other ending after seeing the film, and yep, it sounds about as depraved and monstrous as I would expect, maybe even more so. Seriously, for a light horror outing from Blumhouse, Susco goes to some raw and wicked places. Simply put, something feels weird about saying that I "enjoyed" this movie.
But I can't deny that I was entranced by the unusual, darkly sadistic setup, which culminates in an effective manner. I can't oversell the (needless) cruelty of the film, but the perversely gripping execution is too strong to ignore. You'll probably be scared to go on the internet for a few days.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.9/10)
Images: BH Tilt
And undeniably fitting for this film. Unfriended: Dark Web is a relentlessly vicious horror movie, maybe even needlessly so. After 2015's Unfriended (which I never actually saw), this is another experiment in cinematic terror through viral means, using the platforms of the internet as vessels for gruesome, disturbing thrills. Set entirely in the world of Skype and Facebook Live, it's one of those movies where you just know things aren't going to end well for any of the characters. Death is coming, and it won't be pretty.
But in the hands of writer/director Stephen Susco, Dark Web is unconventionally gripping, employing its concept in a way that feels sharp and frightening. The film starts rather inconspicuously with Matias (Colin Woodell) trying to crack the password for his new laptop, which he claims he bought on CraigsList. His girlfriend Amaya (Stephanie Nogueras) is deaf, a complication to their relationship that has put a lot of stress on Matias over the years. Even with a fancy computer program that records various ASL signs, he struggles to genuinely communicate with Amaya, often making her feel distant and cold. As Matias and the love of his life fight, their other friends get together for a fun game night over Skype. Matias joins them, but Amaya does not. And then things get wild....
Let's introduce the other players. There's Serena (Rebecca Rittenhouse) and Nari (Betty Gabriel), a young couple who just announced their engagement. There's AJ (Connor Del Rio), the resident loudmouth of the group and a hardcore conspiracy theorist to boot. Lex (Savira Windyani) is a DJ on the other side of town, living just far enough away to make get-togethers difficult. And finally, there's Damon, a British computer expert who lives across the pond.
Back to the story. Matias quickly experiences laptop difficulties, trying everything he can to keep his splashy new device from crashing over and over. With a little help from Damon, Matias uncovers a hard drive full of hidden material, loaded with disturbing videos and secret pathways to the dark web. As Matias digs deeper into the contents of his new device (still think he got it on CraigsList?), he discovers a never-ending trail of horrifying secrets- and eventually connects to the laptop's original owner. With threats from the mysterious Charon IV and the dangerous organization of dark web actors, Matias is forced to keep his friends safe as death encroaches from every side.
An entire movie that only uses a variety of webcams feels hopelessly gimmicky, but Dark Web actually utilizes this framework quite well. Deprived of a bombastic musical score or the potential for any serious jump scares, Susco is forced to lean into the story itself, adding a certain level of depth to each character/victim and tossing in a dash of seriously terrifying content for good measure. We see Matias delve deeper into this world of pure evil, as something even scarier lurks around each and every new corner. There's real momentum to the story as it continues, a sense of ever-increasing dread that keeps you hooked.
As the cherry on top, Dark Web is the rare horror film that creates scares mainly from what is said rather than what's shown. Susco understands the vile territory he's entering, and he smartly avoids anything resembling a gore fest. Instead, he lets the viewer's imagination do the work, throwing out vague concepts and ominous videos without expanding on much graphic detail. If you're a bloodthirsty horror fan, don't worry, there is plenty of violence in this nasty little film. But by sparing us of the minutia of this carnage, Dark Web actually maximizes its impact through a tricky balancing act of ambiguity and genuine scares.
The cast is likable as well, which helps when you're making a movie where a bunch of Millenials are killed for no real reason. Like I said- this whole thing is very cruel. The only one who maybe deserves what's coming to him in traditional horror movie terms is Colin Woodell's Matias, who "finds" a laptop and gets his friends into a big mess. Everyone else is just along for the ride, and Susco does a good job of generating real fear when you know someone is about to get picked off. None of these performances are standouts, but every member of the cast does solid work, giving their characters each a strong and distinct personality. It's simple yet effective, working well with Susco's concept.
It's worth noting that Dark Web actually has two endings, and there's really no way of knowing which one you'll see. I read up on the other ending after seeing the film, and yep, it sounds about as depraved and monstrous as I would expect, maybe even more so. Seriously, for a light horror outing from Blumhouse, Susco goes to some raw and wicked places. Simply put, something feels weird about saying that I "enjoyed" this movie.
But I can't deny that I was entranced by the unusual, darkly sadistic setup, which culminates in an effective manner. I can't oversell the (needless) cruelty of the film, but the perversely gripping execution is too strong to ignore. You'll probably be scared to go on the internet for a few days.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.9/10)
Images: BH Tilt
Comments
Post a Comment