Movie review: Friend Request starring Alycia Debnam-Carey

The horror film Friend Request opens on Friday, September 22, 2017, but is the movie starring Fear The Walking Dead star Alycia Debnam-Carey any good?

When it was revealed that Fear The Walking Dead actress Alycia Debnam-Carey would be starring in a horror movie based on social media, my expectations automatically got very low. The film titled Friend Request has been advertised during the popular AMC zombie drama, letting fans know where they could see one of their favorite actresses.

Interestingly enough, an opportunity opened up for me to review this film during an advance screening at AMC Rosedale 14 in Rosedale, Minnesota during a preview showing for critics and lucky fans.

Before starting this review, know that I will not include spoilers, since going into horror movies without knowing what is going to happen is usually for the best. But, for those who want to know a little about the film, here is the official trailer hosted on the YouTube channel of Cieon Movies:

Moviegoers hoping for a unique horror experience with well-defined characters a thoroughly immersing plot will be disappointed by Friend Request. Instead, the film opts for a mixture of moments of quiet tension followed by jumpscares to tell the story, but it actually succeeds in creating an atmosphere of danger for all of the characters involved.

An interesting part of this movie is how it integrates actual social media channels into the film. Facebook, Facetime, instant messengers, mobile devices, laptops, desktops, and more are a part of most people’s everyday lives, and that adds more intrigue into the movie as most people are familiar with these interfaces and the importance of having a social media presence.

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However, the most unexpected thing about this movie is that is it is actually funny. There were several times during Friend Request that I found myself laughing at dialogue that was intentionally meant to be funny.

This blend of jumpscares and humor combined with trying to figure out what would happen next made the movie fun to watch even though it was predictable at times. The story could have been dead was instead carried by solid acting by Alycia Debnam-Carey and an amazing performance by Liesl Ahlers, who plays the hard-up for friends Marina.

Without going into spoilers, I will say that the payoff for this film is weak. After getting invested in the story and actually starting to care about what happens to some of the characters, the final moments are likely to disappoint those who were hoping for a more defined conclusion.

Next: 20 most shocking Fear The Walking Dead moments

Overall, fans of horror will find something to like about Friend Request, but likely won’t find it to be a great film. Going in with low expectations and an open mind will find you enjoying the movie enough to feel good about your decision to check it out, but it likely won’t leave you wanting to see the movie again or excited for a possible sequel.