Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- foreboding
- paranoid
- halloween night
- late night horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the social-media premise promising but undermined by routine ghost-story plotting, weak characterization, and ineffective scares.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Marina's online presence and the cursed content appearing on Laura's profile drive the supernatural danger.
Laura's decision to unfriend Marina becomes the apparent trigger for escalating paranormal retaliation.
Critics specifically noted the film's practical effects amid its stylized presentation.
Laura's large Facebook following begins to collapse as disturbing posts implicate her in Marina's death.
Films like Friend Request, and why
Unfriended
shares supernatural teen horror, online social anxiety, and a vengeful ghost premise
Final Destination 2
shares college-set supernatural horror, escalating deaths, and a cursed young protagonist
Pulse
shares technologically inflected horror, social isolation, and cruel supernatural punishment
Movie Details
- Director
- Simon Verhoeven
- Release Date
- 2016-01-07
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (1348)
Cast
- Alycia Debnam-Carey
- Connor Paolo
- William Moseley
- Brit Morgan
- Brooke Markham
- Sean Marquette
- Liesl Ahlers
- Nicholas Pauling
- Shashawnee Hall
- Susan Danford
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Friend Request about?
- A popular college student's online rejection unleashes a vengeful ghost that turns her social network into a killing curse.
- What is Friend Request like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Friend Request as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Friend Request violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Friend Request as graphic.
- What did critics think of Friend Request?
- Critics broadly found the social-media premise promising but undermined by routine ghost-story plotting, weak characterization, and ineffective scares.
- Which films are like Friend Request?
- Films with a similar feel include Unfriended, Final Destination 2, and Pulse.
- How long is Friend Request?
- Friend Request runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Friend Request?
- In United States, Friend Request streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
