There is no doubt that horror cinema has been adapting to contemporary trends for a while now. We only need to recall examples like television (The Ring), reality shows (My Little Eye), video games (Stay Alive) and mobile phones (One Missed Call). Now modern horror movies use new technologies and social networks as a tool to scare us. This new genre we call "Webcam Horror" is horror cinema in the age of social media. We could describe it as a twist on the found footage genre, since the events on screen are seen through webcams or smartphone videos. A clear example of this genre can be seen in the short film Alexia.
And if you want to see how dark and deadly the world of social media can be, here is a brief list of the best movies you can find within the Webcam Horror genre:
Antisocial (2013)
There is nothing more cowardly than ending a relationship by chat. Unfortunately that happened to Sam, a young college student who is going through a bad moment after her boyfriend broke up with her through a video chat. To cheer her up, her friend Mark decides to take her to a small New Year's party. Everything goes well until, through the news and social networks, the group discovers that there is a new disease that causes several different symptoms, one of which is uncontrolled violence. When the infected attack, the group only has social networks at hand to communicate with each other, and try to find a way to escape without dying in the attempt.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/xNiHsjOBR88Friend Request (2016)
Laura isn't only the most popular girl at school but also leads a very active life on her Facebook account with hundreds of added friends. But one day, after accepting a friend request from a social outcast named Marina, Laura's life is cursed, and her closest friends begin to die cruelly. To make matters worse, all deaths are recorded and uploaded to Laura's Facebook account, making her the main suspect while her friends turn against her by posting angry and disgusted comments. Before it's too late, Laura must solve the mystery behind Marina and her Facebook profile, to break the deadly spell. Moral: Don't accept friend requests from strangers.
Megan Is Missing (2011)
Alongside the previous moral is the one that says don't go out with strangers. Megan and Amy are two 14-year-old teenagers who communicate regularly with webcams or cell phones. But Megan seeks new friends and ends up meeting Josh in a chat room. One day they decide to meet and the worst happens: Megan never returns. The theme of Megan Is Missing is the rawest of all since it reflects a sad reality we often see lately in the media when a young girl disappears after meeting someone she met on social networks.
Ratter (2015)
One of our biggest current fears is being victims of hacking, whether on our computers, mobile devices or social networks. With that premise in mind, Ratter presents Emma, a recent graduate who moves to New York City for a fresh start after her recent breakup with her boyfriend. After settling into her new apartment in Brooklyn, someone begins to hack all her electronic devices anonymously and watches her through the cameras. But not satisfied, this hacker also pirates her social media apps, getting into her files, her life and, finally, her apartment.
The Den (2013)
Do you remember when people sought their 15 minutes of fame on Chatroulette? In this movie that platform is the protagonist, although under the name The Den. What begins as an academic study on the impact of chat programs on communication becomes a fight for life when Elizabeth discovers a murder through the webcam. From there, both Elizabeth's account and webcam are hacked and hell begins: virtual harassment, intimate videos that become public, kidnappings and murders that are broadcast live through the The Den platform.
Unfriended (2014)
The most well-known of all. Unfriended tells the story of Laura who committed suicide after becoming the object of ridicule because an embarrassing video of her was uploaded to YouTube. On the first anniversary of her death, a group of students are having a Skype conversation where they realize that a user named 'billie227' is in the chat. After several vain attempts to kick him out of the conversation, billie227 begins to hack the young people's accounts, making several intimate photos public, and killing one of the group members. Little by little paranoia takes over the young people, bringing to light dark secrets linked to Laura's suicide. It's worth noting that all of this takes place through the screen of a MacBook in an ingenious way that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the movie.
