The Den

The Den (2013)

Runtime: The version on Netflix Instant is 76 minutes long

Directed by: Zachary Donohue

Starring: Melanie Papaila, David Schlactenhaufen, Adam Shapiro, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Matt Riedy

From: Cliffbrook Films/Onset Films

I got Netflix back today and due to word of mouth I decided to see this film. I do not regret the decision. Read why in the Letterboxd review below:

I am not always a member of Netflix. At times I stay away from the site for awhile. Today I joined it again and not for Netflix & Chill reasons. Rather, it's to catch up on various films, especially in the horror realm. With this entry I am at number 11 in my list of horror watching during this Halloween season; that list will be posted I have known of this since Unfriended came out; many people have said the two are quite similar, and I can confirm that is the case. As I surprisingly enjoyed Unfriended and this movie came first, I figured it was about time to check this out.

Like the Blumhouse film, The Den (the title refers to the chat service that the main character uses; for a college experiment she has to spend the next few month using that site... which is just like the famed-or infamous-Chatroulette) is a found footage thing where a lot of the footage is from the computer screen of the protagonist, in this case Elizabeth. It will seem familiar to everyone, as she uses a Mac, has a Gmail account, and there's a faux YouTube where naturally all the comments are hateful garbage. She sees what looks like a murder then things spiral out of control as her friends are then targeted. How things end up... definitely different from Unfriend, and also definitely a little ridiculous... but that can be said about plenty of horror films.

The film definitely feels authentic, at least when it comes to how people act online. You see people do various pranks, some silly and others rather morbid and more gross than funny, at least in my eyes. You definitely also see Elizabeth get sexually harassed, getting asked vulgar questions and seeing men do disgusting things just to get their jollies. The horrors of the Internet are almost as bad as the traditional horrifying things that happen to the characters, which is murders and things I won't spoil. Those elements were creepy and disturbing which is why I rate this the same as Unfriended. I also have to mention that Melanie Papaila did a swell job as Elizabeth. You see her most of the time in this 76 minute movie that at least knows not to wear out its welcome, and thankfully she was able to rise to that challenge in what was not an easy role.

In short, if you enjoyed the story all about Laura Barnes, then it is likely you will get your kicks from this also.