Friend Request

Friend Request is the type of film that doesn't resonate much after seeing it. It does however offer up enough quality jolts to merit a recommendation. It's nothing like Unfriended ( Although I didn't hate that) of which I'm sure it will be constantly compared to. Instead of being gimmicky and goofy the film tries it's best to graduate old school teen horror to the techno age. It's a valiant effort and it mostly meets it's ambitions.


The film centers on a young woman named Laura played by Alycia Debnam-Carey of "Fear the Walking Dead". She's the type of character whose nice enough to reach out to the school outcast. Enter Marina, who is stereotypically weird with her black clothes and edgy artwork.
Marina, almost immediately becomes obsessive. She begins contacting Laura aggressively and begins to act erratically. Feeling as though she may have a stalker on her hands she tries to push the girl away nicely but it doesn't work. It culminates to a freak out by both girls and she is unfriended. Marina than commits suicide and posts it on Laura's page.

From this point on, things get very interesting. Marina is some sort of witch and her spirit has been transferred into the internet, with the promise of making Laura feel exactly as she did. Soon after Laura's friends begin to die in grotesque ways and the posts just keep on coming and people keep on deleting her. Eventually Laura begins putting the pieces together with her creepy friend Kobe (a tech whiz) and tries to unravel the mystery before it's too late. It all leads up to a surprisingly dark finale with some nasty twists.


Friend Request won't be winning any awards but it does manage to elevate the sum of it's parts. What separates Friend Request from being total rubbish is it's dark execution and genuine performances. Rated R, the film has spots of surprisingly gruesome terror.

Alycia Debnam-Carey (Fear the Walking Dead) is solid in the lead. Even when her character isn't being the smartest or nicest person she's likable and you feel her desperation. The supporting actors are fine all around but Brooke Markham who plays Isabel is a stand out. Her part isn't as developed as I would have liked. But she adds a charismatic zest to the proceedings bringing an emotional urgency usually uncommon with teen genre fare.


The direction from Simon Verhoven is ambitious and confident. He feels his way around the story and paces the film so that it's never boring. There are some great choices here. The dark cinematography enhances the fear quotient. And the overall atmosphere of dread keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I won't say that Friend Request is great, it certainly has it's flaws. At times it can feel a little juvenile and the villain unfortunately feels two dimensional and not very developed. In the end it's a mostly solid genre entry, managing to bring a refreshingly creepy spin on the formula.
Friend Request is currently in theaters and deserves a look.


Check out the creepy little trailer below.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDNgs0dgjj4


Friend Request Entertainment One 2017 Color/B&W Alycia Debnam-Carey, William Moseley, Connor Paolo, Brit Morgan, Brooke Markham and Liesl Ahlers star. Written and Directed by Simon Verhoven. Rated   R for language, violence and gore. *