The 3 Best Horror Movies That Take Place Entirely On Computer Screens

Gone are the days when characters had to rely on landline telephones just to survive a horror movie. (Or feel the horror when they find that the lines have been cut.)

We’re in the post-Internet age and horror movies are finally starting to embrace the advancement. Not only should modern movies feature smartphones practically glued to their oft inept characters hands, but they should also reflect just how much screen time we all have and are afraid to admit.

There’s a film subgenre that perfectly encapsulates just how online we really are. Sometimes called “Screenlife” movies, films in this genre take place entirely on computer screens. Instead of looking through the screen to “real” life, you’re seeing all the apps and icons of a fictional computer screen. The action takes place in Zoom and Skype calls, text messages, and Ring doorbell videos. It’s that kind of slice of life that could wind up a cheesy gimmick, but I have good news for you: Some screenlife movies are actually very good. If you want to check out the genre, these are the best movies that take place on computer screens–and where to watch them.

Unfriended (2014)

Six high school friends are on Skype with each other, bullshitting about life, when their computers become haunted by the spirit of a girl they knew who committed suicide. You’d think it’d be just as easy as logging off, but the bloodthirsty spirit will make that an impossible task. Unfriended was the first screenlife movie that proved it’s actually a killer genre.

Searching (2018)

A father is distraught when he realizes that his daughter has gone missing. Rather than relying on the cops to find her, he uses technology to figure out who saw her last and where she could have gone. More of a thriller than horror, Searching was the first screenlife movie that was taken seriously upon its release and even spurred a sequel, Missing (2023), which is almost as good.

Host (2020)

Just because it’s the pandemic and everyone has to isolate at home, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun séance with your friends. You just have to do it over Zoom! That’s what happens in this highly rated screenlife horror. In fact, Host has a 99% Rotten Tomato rating, which is basically unheard-of for this kind of horror movie–which is proof right there that you should watch it.