Laura Barns is the main antagonist of the 2015 horror film Unfriended, portrayed by Heather Sossaman. A high school student from California, Laura became infamous after a humiliating video of her went viral, leading to severe bullying from her classmates. Unable to cope with the torment, she took her own life. A year later, Laura returned as a vengeful spirit, haunting and killing those she held responsible for her suffering, using their own secrets and betrayals against them.

Trivia/Facts

• Laura Barns was a high school student from California, portrayed as a bully by many of her classmates. Her life took a tragic turn when a humiliating video of her getting drunk and defecating herself went viral online. The relentless bullying she faced after the video’s spread pushed her to commit suicide. She shot herself outside the school, leaving behind a legacy of pain and torment.
• A year after her death, Laura returned as a vengeful spirit to torment her former classmates. She targeted six of them in a Skype chat, including her former best friend, Blaire Lily. Laura began by manipulating their computers and social media accounts, posting messages on her own and terrorizing them psychologically. Her haunting soon escalated into violent attacks.
• Laura’s supernatural revenge intensified when she started killing those in the chat. She first targeted Val Rommel, killing her after Val attempted to leave the chat. Laura then killed Ken Smith after he briefly succeeded in ejecting her from the call. Using her powers, Laura forced the remaining teens to play “Never Have I Ever” to expose their dark secrets and turn them against each other.
• In the end, Laura focused on Blaire and her boyfriend, Mitch, demanding to know who had posted the viral video that led to her death. Although both denied responsibility, Laura revealed to Blaire that Mitch had posted the video, and Blaire betrayed him by admitting it. Laura then possessed Mitch, forcing him to stab himself in the eye and die. Ultimately, Laura exposed the truth that Blaire had created the video, and in the film’s final scene, she appeared in Blaire’s room to kill her as well.
• Laura Barns’ character has been compared to Marina Mills, the villainess from Friend Request (2017), as both were young girls who committed suicide and returned for revenge. However, unlike Marina, who was portrayed as a dark, obsessive psychopath, Laura was more of a bully who became a victim herself after a Facebook post ruined her life. Her revenge was driven by the betrayal she felt from those closest to her. Both characters, though, sought and achieved supernatural retribution against those who wronged them.
• Heather Sossaman, who portrayed Laura Barns, also played a villainess named Megan Ferguson on CSI: NY. She is known for portraying dark and vengeful characters. Her performance in Unfriended helped bring Laura Barns’ tragic and terrifying story to life. This role became one of her most memorable performances in horror films.

Laura Barns’s Relationship with Other Characters

• Blaire Lily: Blaire was Laura’s best friend before the incident. Laura trusted Blaire, but after her death, Laura found out that Blaire secretly betrayed her by recording and posting the humiliating video. This betrayal hurt Laura the most, and in the end, Laura sought revenge by exposing Blaire’s role in the video and ultimately killing her.
• Mitch Roussel: Mitch was Blaire’s boyfriend and one of Laura’s former classmates. He denied being responsible for the video, but Laura revealed to Blaire that Mitch was the one who posted it. Laura forced Mitch to kill himself as part of her revenge, showing her anger towards him for spreading the video.
• Val Rommel: Val was another classmate who had a bad relationship with Laura. During the Skype chat, Laura targeted Val after sending her threatening messages. When Val tried to leave the chat, Laura killed her as part of her supernatural revenge.
• Ken Smith: Ken was one of the six classmates in the Skype chat and had no deep personal connection with Laura. However, when he tried to remove Laura from the chat, she killed him to show her control and power over the group.
• Jess Felton and Adam Sewell: Jess and Adam were also part of the group of friends in the Skype chat. Laura exposed their secrets during the deadly game of “Never Have I Ever,” turning them against each other. Both became victims of Laura’s revenge, revealing how deeply Laura felt betrayed by everyone involved.