Friend Request Blu-ray Review

"Friend Request" is presented on Blu-ray by Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This transfer is commendable for its vibrant and baroque visuals, especially through some of Marina's illustrations and animations. The film alternates between warm, brightly lit daytime scenes and cooler, more gothic nighttime settings. While daytime scenes boast high detail levels and a warm palette, nighttime scenes adopt a blue or slate gray tint, resulting in slightly reduced detail. Both practical effects and CGI are well represented, though some minor banding is evident, which is somewhat surprising for a Lionsgate release.

The video quality showcases a crisp image that could have been slightly sharper. Medium and close-up shots display strong visible textures and details. The depth of the image is solid, with noticeable separation between background and foreground elements, allowing characters to move naturally without significant blur or jitter. Black levels are deep, maintaining detail in close-ups but occasionally losing information in shadows when zoomed out. There is some crushing observed, particularly in darker scenes, but it does not significantly detract from the overall experience.

Color reproduction is natural, with a subdued tone across the rustic, wood-paneled settings predominant throughout the movie. Blues, in particular, are accentuated in some scenes, offering vivid highlights. Skin tones have a consistent cold appearance throughout, with excellent texture visible in medium and close-up shots of facial details and graphic make-up effects. The presentation is clean with minimal noise or artifacts, ensuring an engaging viewing experience.

The audio presentation of "Friend Request" on Blu-ray utilizes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that effectively enhances the horror experience through strategic use of soundscapes and sudden low-frequency effects. The track is characterized by its ability to create a sense of bombast, particularly noticeable during the numerous jump scares and tension-filled moments. While the score does admittedly "Mickey Mouse" or telegraph upcoming scares, it aligns with the genre's tendency to provoke visceral reactions from the audience. Importantly, dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, indicating a well-prioritized and problem-free vocal track throughout.

This 5.1 DTS-HD mix emphasizes dynamics with a pounding quality, effectively combining crisp vocals and natural effects with an aggressively mixed score designed to elicit discomfort and surprise. The subwoofer sees frequent activity with strong and persistent low-frequency pulsations that add depth to both the score and sound effects. Notably, while the mix leans heavily towards the front channels, there is a conscientious use of the surround channels to create an immersive environment. Ambient sounds, movements, and positional audio cues are well-executed, although occasionally overshadowed by the dominant front audio elements. This approach aligns well with the horror genre's stylistic expectations, aiming to both engross and unnerve the viewer.

The Blu-ray release of "Friend Request" comes with an assortment of extras that, while serviceable, don't delve too deeply into the filmmaking process. The featurette, "Friend Request: The Social Nightmare," is a standard electronic press kit (EPK) fare that runs for 11 minutes and 22 seconds. It intersperses brief interviews with cast and crew alongside scenes from the film, providing a modest look behind the scenes. One notable aspect of this piece is the insight it offers into the international nature of the production, highlighting contributions from a diverse array of talent. Additionally, the disc includes an UltraViolet digital copy of the film for added viewing convenience.

Extras included in this disc:

• Friend Request: The Social Nightmare: Standard EPK with brief interviews and film clips highlighting the film’s international production.

"Friend Request" capitalizes on the pervasive uncertainty of social media relationships, intertwining it with familiar horror tropes. The narrative kicks off with Laura Woodson (Alycia Debnam-Carey), a popular college student, accepting a friend request from Marina (Liesl Ehlers), a solitary gothic artist. Quickly, Laura's seemingly vibrant life unravels into chaos when Marina's disconcerting suicide video circulates amongst her peers, followed by a sequence of surrogate jump scares and chilling startles. While the film endeavors to weave a story of an eerie curse through Facebook-esque interactions, it's somewhat hampered by predictable plot points and a lack of substantial development in its thematic elements.

Visually, "Friend Request" hits some creative highs, especially within Marina's gothic artworks, which artfully enhance the film's atmospheric tension. Yet, these moments of aesthetic intrigue are sporadic and fail to compensate for the otherwise generic narrative. The story struggles with disjointed developments, notably in its half-baked exploration of Marina's background and motivations. This leaves viewers grappling with unresolved questions around the core hauntings and character dynamics. Furthermore, elements like Marina's ghostly digital communications remain frustratingly unexplained.

Despite some attempts at innovative horror grounded in modern-day social networking, "Friend Request" stumbles over clichéd storytelling and underwhelming character arcs. The film suffers from an over-reliance on conventional horror mechanics without offering fresh or coherent narrative substance. Consequently, audiences are likely to find the experience tedious, devoid of memorable scares or engaging sequences. This "friend request" is best left unaccepted if one seeks a truly compelling or refreshing addition to the horror genre.

"Friend Request" is an attempt to delve into the realm of modern horror with a social media twist, targeting a younger audience. The narrative pivots around familiar themes seen in similar films like "Unfriended," offering nothing groundbreaking or particularly inventive. The film struggles with lapses in logic and relies heavily on predictable jump scares, which may only provide short-lived thrills. Despite these shortcomings, there are technical aspects that stand out in this Blu-Ray release.

From a technical perspective, the Blu-Ray presentation of "Friend Request" is commendable. The 5.1 surround sound mix is notably effective, delivering an immersive audio experience that enhances the film's tension. The visual quality is solid too, with a sharp and clean image that highlights the film’s atmospheric settings and special effects. However, the bonus features included are quite generic and don't add significant value to the package.

In conclusion, "Friend Request" doesn’t bring much new to the table and tends to follow a formulaic horror blueprint. It may entertain teens and less discerning horror fans for a weekend, but it isn't a must-see. However, for those who appreciate good technical merits in a Blu-Ray, this release performs well on those fronts. If you enjoyed the film or are a collector of horror Blu-Rays, it might be worth acquiring during a sale or from a bargain bin.