Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Clever concept ruined by poor execution; very violent.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Friend Request
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say the movie features a mix of horror elements with a plot that contains both engaging twists and predictable jump scares, though it struggles with character depth and execution. While some found it entertaining and appreciated its darker themes, others were disappointed by its reliance on gore and conventional horror tropes, leading to a divisive reception among viewers.
- engaging plot twists
- reliance on jumpscares
- character depth issues
- graphic violence
- divisive reception
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In FRIEND REQUEST, Laura (Alycia Debnam-Carey) is an incredibly popular college student with many friends, a new boyfriend, and an enormous social media following. Laura notices a strange new girl at school, Marina (Liesl Ahlers), and decides to accept her online friend invitation. Unfortunately, the lonely Marina takes things too far and starts stalking Laura. When Laura rebuffs her, Marina commits suicide, and the video of the event finds its way onto Laura's social media page. She tries to delete it, but the site mysteriously refuses to comply. Suddenly her friends begin suffering weird, ghostly attacks and even dying all around her -- with even more videos posted to her page. Laura's online friend count begins to drop, and she realizes that whoever -- or whatever -- is doing this wants to make her feel just as alone as Marina did.
Is It Any Good?
This horror movie begins with an intriguing idea -- exploring the pitfalls of social media -- but quickly succumbs to routine setups and payoffs typical of most uninspired ghost stories. Conversely, the thematically similar Unfriended (2014) began with a less intriguing idea, but its execution was far more inspired and terrifying. As directed by Simon Verhoeven, Friend Request does incorporate some truly unhinged, disturbing artwork and animation, but it's never used for anything other than just being there.
Mostly the movie consists of the expected jump scares, plus attempts to "solve" the haunting by traveling to the place it all began, etc. One character, a young man with a crush on Laura, goes crazy over his unrequited love, which seems like a serious stretch. And other than being "friends" and having a good time, there's nothing of substance to any of these characters. Fear the Walking Dead fans will be most disappointed seeing star Alycia Debnam-Carey taking such an ill-fated step down.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Friend Request's violence. How graphic is it? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Is the movie scary? If so, how? Could it have been scarier? What's the appeal of scary movies?
What does the movie say about social media? Can you be addicted to it? Does it have positive aspects?
Did you notice characters of different body types in the movie? Do they all have a positive body image?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 22, 2017
- On DVD or streaming : January 9, 2018
- Cast : Alycia Debnam-Carey , Sean Marquette , William Moseley
- Director : Simon Verhoeven
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : horror violence, disturbing images, and language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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