Unfriended (2014)

As I continued to plug away on my group project last night, mentally preparing for a long day of softball (in the snow flurries), I decided to venture into the found footage arena for some entertainment. While I usually stay clear, this film caught my eye as it featured many of the elements that would be used in my current class, transmedia writing. What was the movie? It was the 2014 innovative found footage entry Unfriended.

Plot/ A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.

It has been a while since I have seen a found footage flick that actually kept me interested. In this case, this movie definitely delivered on creating something innovative inside a tired genre. This movie kept me interested and added some realism that I could relate to having teenaged daughters. In many ways, this movie has a lot to like, with an interesting storyline, some decent performances, and just enough unknown and mystery to make you stay interested. Yes, the characters were somewhat flat, and some of the scares missed their mark, but for a lower budgeted flick, this one worked. In the end, if you were tired of the found footage genre and thought that it had run its course, you should definitely check this one out. You will be surprised. Is it a perfect movie? No, but it is an original take on a dying genre. Give it a shot!