Director: Simon
Verhoeven
Notable Cast: Alycia
Debnam-Carey, William Moseley, Connor Paolo, Brit Morgan, Brooke Markham, Sean
Marquette, Liesl Ahlers, Shashawnee Hall
There was a span in the late 90s and early 00s that the J-Horror
movement tapped into something unique, partnering a fear of technology with the
social commentary and the traditional ghost stories that have been a staple of Japanese
lore. To this day, films like Pulse, Ringu, and One Missed Call remain fascinating and impressive feats of combining
social fears, artistic storytelling, and genre tropes. Recently, there has been
a resurgence in attempting this same balance with modern horror films in the
US. Movies like The Den, Unfriended, or Open Windows all take stabs at this balance with varying results. Friend Request, the latest film about
the horrors of technology – in this case, social media – is just one more.
Scratch that, it’s less than just one more. It is probably one the worst one I’ve
seen yet. Instead of producing some kind of inspired commentary or even a
stylistic choice to give itself an angle to rise above its peers, Friend Request just meanders through the
motions and attempts to use the ‘Facebook’ platform concept as a gimmick to retelling
the usual teen angst supernatural horror story. A story that doesn’t have a lot
of depth or the teeth to sell it beyond the usual.