The Den (2013)

While studying the habits of web cam chat users from the apparent safety of her own home, a young woman's life begins to spiral out of control after witnessing a grisly murder online.

Director:

Zachary Donohue

Writers:

Zachary Donohue, Lauren Thompson

Stars:

Melanie Papalia, David Schlachtenhaufen, Adam Shapiro

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melanie Papalia	...	Elizabeth Benton
David Schlachtenhaufen	...	Damien Clark
Adam Shapiro	...	Max
Anna Margaret Hollyman	...	Lynn Benton
Matt Riedy	...	Sgt. Tisbert
Katija Pevec	...	Jenni
Saidah Arrika Ekulona	...	Sally
Anthony Jennings	...	Officer Dawson (as Anthony Paul Michael Jennings)
Victoria Hanlin	...	Brianne
Anushka Rani	...	Young Indian Girl
Garrett Fornander	...	Prank Boy
Lily Holleman	...	Evil Girl
Jeff Rubino	...	Suburban Dad
Jonah Landow	...	Suburban Boy
Rikin Vasani	...	Sudeep

Storyline

A young woman studying the habits of webcam chat users from the apparent safety of her apartment witnesses a brutal murder online and is quickly immersed in a nightmare in which she and her loved ones are targeted for the same grisly fate as the first victim.

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Plot Keywords:

laptop | computer | found footage | talking to the camera | looking at the camera | 

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Taglines:

online is the scene of the #crime

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, terror, some sexuality, graphic nudity and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 March 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Death Online

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cliffbrook Films, Onset Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The majority of the film takes place on computer screens, cell phone screens, and cameras for short terms.

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Goofs

When we see the shot where we see the view from Elizabeth's computer and the hidden camera in her vent simultaneously, she raises her arms which blocks the vent from the web-cam's view. However, the laptop is still in full view from the hidden camera's point of view. It is revealed earlier in the movie that the laptop is using a built in web-cam. This means that if the web-cam cannot see the vent, the camera in the vent should not be able to see the laptop either.

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Connections

Spoofs 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

User Reviews

A Dark but Repetitive Journey

There has been a recent string of "mostly or all" web-cam shot horror films. Meghan is Missing is a typical example: have a character start off in chat rooms that are silly, have them meet someone that seems sinister, have them debate whether or not this is a joke as the film turns darker and darker.

The Den follows the typical pattern; if you're a fan of those films, this one is fairly well made. Unfortunately it offers nothing new. If you're familiar with the genre, once you see something dark happening on that web-cam, you know what the whole film is going to be like and how it is going to end.

The film is not realistic in any fashion as the killer(s) would have to be omniscient to know where everyone would be, when everyone would be alone, how people would be walking in to rooms and where they would be facing, etc. Not to mention the fact that the police offer no help when bodies pile up and our hero insists "no matter how many of my friends get kidnapped, I will not stop constantly broadcasting my whereabouts all over the web." It wasn't for me but I'm sure there are fans of web-cam scare films that will enjoy it.