If you stop reading this, you die…

No, Laura Barns hasn’t taken over Lancer Media, but after seeing the movie Unfriended, I was a little scared to log into my social media accounts.

Unfriended came out in April and I went to see it shortly after the release; however, this wasn’t like most scary movies. Although I did leave the theater feeling chills, I couldn’t help but take another eerie feeling with me that most other horror films do not present.

I can’t explain this well, but this movie takes place as a visual image of Blaire Lily’s laptop screen. It’s a unique perspective, but familiar for most teens who spend about five hours online everyday. Blaire is on different websites looking at videos and articles on the “Larua Barnes suicide”.

Barnes had previously been friends with Blaire, but Barnes committed suicide after an embarrassing video of her partying was leaked online. Her digital footprint has become a timebomb.

A Skype call pops up on the computer and Blaire quickly exits the websites; her boyfriend Mitch wants to video chat.

I became uncomfortable after a few minutes of  intimate flirting complete with strip teases, foot appreciation, and a knife. Then three other of their friends are brought into the video chat unexpectedly, accompanied by an unknown screenname.

Blaire and her friends attempt multiple times to get rid of this unwelcome visitor, and soon find out it’s the account of Laura Barnes.

Are you creeped out yet?

During the video chat, Blaire receives mysterious Facebook messages from Laura Barnes, asking for help, and threatening Blaire’s life.

Assuming it’s a cruel joke, Blaire’s friends start threatening the visitor, and things get serious. Barnes’ spirit forces the teens to play the popular game ‘Never Have I Ever’, reveal how the teens backstabbed each other, and repeats the threat, “If you hang up… you die.”

The next hour of the movie was filled with gory deaths, scarring images, and unexpectedly, a guilty conscience.

At the end, a huge plot twist involving the drunken video of Barnes turns the audience against virtually every character in the film, as if we weren’t already horrified enough.

This movie creates a more meaningful message than an audience member would expect. It really made me conscious about the impact of my online life.

While LHS digital footprint lessons were helpful, this movie was way more effective.

My parents, though, would probably not make the time to go out and see this. This movie is really for teens today.

I would be lying if I said I’ve never said anything hurtful to someone, and this movie made me think about if my words/actions crossed the line and ended like the Barnes suicide. Now that’s a terrifying thought.

The innovative idea for having the film be set on Blaire’s laptop during a Skype call works very well for the concept of the film. The small Skype boxes do not show the entire scene every character is in, which added to the fear by presenting the famous ‘pop-out’ scare gimmick. However, the Skype scene plays a little too authentic when some of the characters screens freeze, glitch, and lag… which is kind of annoying.

In the end, I feel like the movie gave me a good scare and a bit of a reality check. It may not be worth it to go pay $12.50 and eat overly buttered popcorn as you watch this hour and a half long film, but if it’s showing on Chiller at 9:30 pm, I say give it a watch.

After a regular horror movie, you leave the theatre afraid to sleep in the dark.

After this movie, you’re afraid to

go on Skype,

use your blender,

post online,

or say anything mean…ever again.