Some weeks ago, I sat in the underground train. A guy forgot his iPhone on his seat. Everybody starred at it for seconds. What should they do? Finally, a man took it. However, it didn’t give the impression that he would try to give the phone back to the owner. I thought about the option, that the owner can see, where the phone is now and what he or she would do, when some foreigner uses it. The answer – or at least one idea – what happens, when you take a phone or notebook from a stranger, gives the film: Unknown User: Dark Web.
The 20 years ok Matias (Colin Woodell) sees a lonely MacBook in a café. Because of the fact, that he needs a more powerful computer anyway, he takes it. However, quickly he finds out that something is wrong with the device.
Unwittingly, his friends are dragged into the depths of the Dark Web. Moreover, gruesome videos with frighteningly real shots pop up on their screens. Suddenly, an anonymous user hacks in. Which began as a game, turns into an evening of purest horror.
The Friends are played off against each other. Furthermore, all their movements are observed, and the rules of the “game” are redefined completely. The question is, how far will the hacker go to protect the secrets of the Dark Web?
Unknown User: Dark Web is a stand-alone sequel of Unknown User (Unfriended). It continues the style of the success movie from 2014. The audience experiences something familiar. A chat with friends. Everybody knows this situation. Because of the familiar environment and action, the audience forgets reality and can immerse into the story.
The story is entertaining, sometimes shocking and sometimes very foreseen. Unfortunately, some lack of logic impairs the good impression. Even, the “countdown”, who will survive or die next, is well-known from countless other movies. Some new surprising ideas would be good.
However, in general, Unknown User: Dark Web (Unfriended: Dark Web) is a good thriller for in-between. Even if the story isn’t fresh, the actors are. They take us with them on a horror trip without any chance to escape. Furthermore, they show us one of the world wide web’s dark sides, which is probably not the darkest in reality.
For the horror in-between: VALEUR gives 6 points.
