Movie Reviews

Unfriended: Dark Web – Blu-ray Movie Review

Synopsis

From a story no doubt inspired by recent headlines, a stolen laptop loaded with malware and misbehaving social media leads to mayhem and multiple murders. The film is an offshoot of 2014’s Unfriended, although that film is more supernatural than our current review subject.

Specifications
Universal Pictures 2018
1080p, Rated R, Dolby Digital 5.1, Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Starring: Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel
Director: Stephen Susco

Rating

Entertainment:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:

Violence: Yes
Sex: Yes
Language: Yes

Commentary

I guess you’d say this is a techno/teen slasher movie. It’s an interesting premise, as a kid steals a laptop from a coffee shop lost and found and as soon as this MacBook boots up, trouble begins. Our hero (?) notices the laptop performance is really slow and that’s because the hard drive is filled with badly lit scenes of people being abducted and tortured.

Secrets Sponsor

The whole movie takes place on the laptop screen, as we see the computer thief’s friends on Skype calls and other social media. This kid is clearly living his whole life on this laptop.

Soon he gets threatening messages about returning the laptop, and wouldn’t you know, his friends start getting killed one by one. At the end it’s down to the unfortunate owner of the stolen laptop and his girlfriend, who is deaf, which increases the suspense due to the couples challenged communications using sign language, something the boyfriend neglected to learn very well.

I can’t say that this is a great movie. It falls too neatly into similar films and it’s filled with events we expect to happen. It’s grim, with little humor, but seen with friends it’s probably an OK view.

Technical

Secrets Sponsor

It’s hard to judge the Blu-ray quality of a film completely taking place on a laptop screen, with lower quality Skype Video, but the story is engaging, and you go with the flow. This is not a demo disc by any means and it does not pretend to be.

Audio is pretty good when the music score is used. There’s some low bass when appropriate, and some directional effects.

Extras

Three alternate endings

Mel Martin

Mel spent most of his life working in television journalism in Ohio, Florida, the BBC in London, and in Seattle, WA. He won a few EMMY awards along the way which most people mistake for bowling trophies. Being around all those expensive monitors frustrated him when he got home to his threadbare TV and stereo, so he began to improve things, brand by brand, upgrade by upgrade. He’s got a lovely OLED TV now, flanked by Magnepan 3.6r speakers, and a Home theater with an Epson Projector and Focal speakers. Also scatted about the house are HiFiMan headphones, and 6 Sonos Connect devices that are spraying his rather large music collection from room to room. Other equipment is from Oppo, Sony, Aurender, PS Audio and Emotiva. Musical tastes range from Classical to Jazz to New Age to classic Rock and Roll. Mel has written a biography of film producer Samuel Bronston (El Cid, King of Kings) and is working now on a second film related book. He resides in Arizona where, when he’s not adjusting his home theater, he dabbles in landscape and astronomical photography.

Recent Posts

Coastal Source Outdoor Audio and Lighting Product Intro 2024

Coastal Source, an industry leader in outdoor audio and lighting recently held a special media…

8 hours ago

Octave Audio V 110 SE Integrated Tube Amplifier Review

From Germany, and Europe in general, come a lot of great audio products. One of…

1 day ago

Soulnote D-1N D/A Converter Review.

A remarkably well-engineered DAC, the Soulnote D-1N has outstanding sound quality and a versatile feature…

3 days ago

CANJAM New York 2024 Show Coverage.

This weekend we will be reporting from CanJAM NYC 2024, by all accounts the largest…

6 days ago

What We Are Listening To – Spring 2024

A fine selection of CDs and LPs for welcoming in the blossoms and buds this…

1 week ago

HiFi Rose RS520 Streaming Amplifier Review

The HiFi Rose RS520 is a network high-resolution audio and Ultra HD video streamer with…

1 week ago