A digital trap where the audience is the jury
In short: In this 2018 screenlife horror, a group of friends discovers a laptop that provides access to the dark web. What begins as a simple mistake turns into a lethal game of survival when cybercriminal hackers begin using the device to orchestrate a series of terrifying, live-streamed attacks.
Directed by Stephen Susco in his directorial debut, Unfriended: Dark Web is a standalone story, sharing no characters or plot points with the 2014 film Unfriended. The narrative follows Matias, who finds a MacBook Pro at a cyber café. As he attempts to return it to its owner, Norah, the group realizes the laptop is connected to the dark web and is being used by a group of hackers known as the Charons. The ordeal begins when Matias finds the device at a cyber café. He soon receives messages from the original owner, Norah, demanding the laptop's return.
The film utilizes the 'screenlife' genre, a style mastered by producer Timur Bekmambetov where the story unfolds entirely on computer screens. This format mirrors the digital lives of the protagonists, as they face threats ranging from deepfake videos used in swatting attacks to remote hacking of their personal messages. The hackers use these tools to manipulate the characters, eventually forcing them into impossible choices and luring them into fatal traps. The hackers use deepfakes to frame the group for various crimes. They even broadcast the entire terrifying experience live on the dark web.
The film's release was marked by technical intrigue regarding its endings. While director Susco has stated there is only one ending, multiple projectionists reported receiving two different versions of the film to be played at random, similar to the 1985 film Clue. Despite mixed critical reviews—holding a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes—the film was a commercial success, grossing $16.4 million worldwide against a $1 million production budget. The movie's theatrical run saw it finish ninth at the box office. It earned $15.1 million globally during its full release.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Unfriended: Dark Web
- Also: Wikidata — Unfriended: Dark Web · CC0
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