Movie Review – ‘Unfriended: Dark Web’ (2018)… Darker and More Terrifying

When Unfriended first came out back in 2014, it seemed a little gimmicky to me. After watching it, I found it enjoyable, but it left me in the category of passive fan. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. Be that as it may, I absolutely loved the framework of it. It exploited society’s voyeuristic itch, with a style of filming used that drew me right in. Naturally, humans are nosy. That is not debatable. Watching a stranger’s computer screen is like peeking through a metaphorical curtain, crossing a line that you know shouldn’t be crossed, but you do anyway. So, after seeing the trailer for Unfriended: Dark Web, I felt like they had finally discovered where this franchise should go.

Supernatural threats are officially over. The real fear we feel in today’s world is the evil that lies within humanity. That is what Unfriended: Dark Web is all about. After stealing a laptop from the lost and found at his job, Matias unwittingly puts himself, his girlfriend, and a group of friends in danger. The laptop he’s stolen belongs to a very bad person whose natural habitat is the deepest corners of the Dark Web, where you can find assassins, snuff films, and content creators that, well, aren’t making funny YouTube videos.

Directed by Stephen Susco (The Grudge 2004), this film stars (Colin Woodell: The Purge TV series), Chelsea Alden (13 Reasons Why TV series), Betty Gabriel (Get Out 2017), and Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Handmaid’s Tale TV series). Unfriended: Dark Web also stars Connor Del Rio (Key and Peele TV series), who absolutely steals the show and provides the comic relief you’ll be begging for. His character was so awkward yet charming, and was probably one of my favorite attributes of this film.

Chock full of great actors, Dark Web shines brightly in the character department. There is plenty of witty dialogue as the characters engage in a Cards Against Humanity game night via Skype. As a viewer, you almost feel like you are a part of their group. Be careful, you won’t want to be for long. As the night continues, things start to take a turn for the worse. By the end, you will heed the old adage: “Curiosity killed the cat.”

I really enjoyed Unfriended: Dark Web. It was smart, creepy, suspenseful, and pretty terrifying. I got out of the film an hour ago, and I’m still experiencing the heebie jeebies. What makes this one so scary is that this could actually happen. We’ve all heard of the infamous Dark Web, but as decent human beings, we steer clear of it. This film forces you to ask: Are there dangers lurking like the ones we see in this film, lurking somewhere down the street from Google, way out in cyberspace? The answer is, I don’t know. What I do know is that there are some incredibly sick individuals out there, and I don’t think this film’s content is too far off from reality. That is why Unfriended: Dark Web will resonate with audiences long after the credits roll.

The only issue I had with Dark Web were the death scenes. Off-screen deaths are so 10 years ago, especially in an R-rated film. While the film is still effective without them, the gorehound in me was begging for more. If I remember correctly, this film’s predecessor had some incredibly gory moments. This one, not so much. I could possibly get past that if I had any idea what was happening off-screen. I get the whole “leave it to the imagination because it will be much worse there” mindset. However, a blank canvas can only become beautiful if, and only if, there are paints and paint brushes provided. Otherwise, we are just left to look at a blank screen, speculating on what it represents. Hmmm…..

Overall, Unfriended: Dark Web will be added to my collection promptly upon release. I can’t wait to go see it again in a week or so, and I pray that my opinion either remains the same or that I love it even more. A few of my friends have already seen it twice, and they can’t quit raving about it. So, if we were using a star system, I suppose I would give it 8/10 stars. Two get taken away for the lack of on-screen deaths. If you’ve been on the fence about this movie, go see it. You will regret it, but not because you didn’t enjoy it. It will be due to your sense of security being ripped away from you only to never be returned again.