When Unfriended hit theaters in 2015, some horror fans were skeptical that an entire story could be told over a computer screen. It’s natural to believe that this wouldn’t work because viewers would become bored or seek visual variety. The film, on the other hand, is a lot of fun and a more interesting way to tell that story, as watching a group of youngsters hang around in someone’s house can get boring and old. Instead, they converse via the internet, where they discover that a long-dead classmate is stalking them.
Several horror films, including Unfriended, deal with technology in unique ways, and some even take place inside a computer screen.
On June 19th, 2021, Mark Birrell made the following changes to this page: Unfriended followed in the footsteps of a long line of successful and innovative modern horror films, many of which featured producer Jason Blum in some role. This is great news for fans of the film because it means there will be much more to recommend for comparable chills and thrills. Individuals who appreciate Unfriended but do not generally enjoy scary movies have alternative options available to them on other streaming sites as well.
Escape Room (2019)
Escape rooms have been incredibly popular in recent years, but no one expects to be locked within one and forced to fight for their lives.
In the 2019 film Escape Room, this is exactly what happens. A group of strangers are forced to participate in increasingly dangerous settings, such as outside on a frozen lake or inside an upside-down bar, as part of a game to which they have been invited. This film has a different setting than other horror films, as it isn’t just another haunted house or terrifying forest, and fans of Unfriended will like the multiple twists and turns.
Host (2020)
The horror film Host, set for release in 2020, has gotten a lot of buzz, and it’s incredible to see a work of art created while in quarantine.
Rob Savage’s short is about a bunch of friends who are having a Zoom séance until they realize something supernatural is happening on. As many individuals have become more and more accustomed to video-chatting with their friends and family in recent years, Host is well-made and relatable.
Happy Death Day (2017)
The concept of a character stuck in an inevitable time cycle is reimagined in Happy Death Day. The protagonist, Tree (Jessica Rothe), looks to be a typical horror movie victim at first, yet she continues dying and reliving the same day.
Happy Death Day, like Unfriended, adds something new to the horror genre by messing with time and keeping the audience guessing. The film is also another example of Blumhouse Productions’ emerging reputation for low-budget high-concept blockbusters, since both films have gone on to become profitable franchises.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Jason Blum bought the found video horror film Paranormal Activity, seeing it as a possible newer version of The Blair Witch Project, and helped turn it into a global genre cinema success with five sequels thus far.
The straightforward plot follows a couple as they attempt to document what they believe to be extraterrestrial abilities, with the strange events that occur at night becoming increasingly worrisome as time passes. Fans of Unfriended will enjoy the closeness of the setting as well as the intensity it adds to the drama-driven scenes.
Pulse (2001)
Another breakthrough horror film from the millennium, Pulse, investigates the idea of ghosts existing in the digital space of personal computers and how this could allow them to permeate every part of modern life.
The film takes a more visceral approach to the scares than Unfriended, focusing on a slow-burning dread that comes from the film’s eerie atmosphere, but its perspective on technology and horror was much ahead of its time, and anyone interested in the central premise of both films should watch it.
David Kim, played by John Cho, is on the lookout for his daughter, who has suddenly vanished, in the 2018 film Searching. As he conducts investigation, contacts friends and relatives, the police, and even watches the news, the entire film plays out on his computer screen.
The film, like Unfriended, proves that by using this style, it is possible to keep people engrossed for the whole duration of a feature-length thriller. Because it works so well for the mystery, it’s difficult to imagine the story being delivered any other way.
Super Dark Times (2017)
Super Dark Times is a traditional–and stunningly shot–thriller about a bunch of high school teenagers who are engaged in a terrible accident and respond horribly.
Though not as terrifying as Unfriended, the film’s narrative has undeniable staying power and depicts the evil that lurks in children’s private relationships in a chillingly realistic manner.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
When it first went out looking for backers, The Blair Witch Project, the first true smash of the discovered footage type, was hardly a big ticket item, but its trailblazing viral appeal has since become the stuff of Hollywood legend.
The movie’s use of the internet was obviously drastically different given the time period in which it was developed and published. Despite this, the story of a group of documentarians getting lost in the supposedly haunted woods of Burkittsville, Maryland remains a powerfully terrifying tale, and the decision to leave the cameras in the hands of the actors was a stroke of brilliance that is echoed in Unfirended’s shooting style.
Untraceable (2008)
In this 2008 thriller featuring Diane Lane as a special agent, a serial killer maintains a website where he live-streams the moments leading up to his killing someone.
Untraceable is perfect for fans of Unfriended because it features a computer screen as one of the main focal points, but unlike Unfriended, it is place in the real world. Nonetheless, it’s a terrifying and timely concept that works.
V/H/S/2 (2013)
In this 2013 anthology film, characters watch VHS tapes that are all highly inventive. A bicycle transforms into a zombie while holding a GoPro camera in one tape, therefore the part is from the zombie’s perspective. An alien invasion is observed through the eyes of a dog in another.
Fans of Unfriended will enjoy this film since it takes traditional horror movie ideas and places them in a contemporary environment, resulting in magnificent long take scenes and leaving the audience guessing what will happen next.
