I’m not a big play reader, but Briana Morgan’s name kept popping up all over social media and with it, her play Unboxed. This play tells the story of a paranormal vlogger seeking his name in the stars, or at least one million subscribers. We join Greg Zipper as he tries to find the next big thing that will push his channel over the top. Typically at the expense of paying attention to his girlfriend Alice. Greg settles on ordering a dark web mystery box to draw in more viewers, and as one might expect, things begin to go wrong.

Briana does a great job of telling the story through dialogue, leaving descriptions sparse and up to the imagination of either the reader or the director. The Boxer makes for a mysterious antagonist and Morgan masterfully makes the reader question his motivations, his abilities, and even his humanity. A phenomenal job of keeping the villain draped in shadow so that knowing too much about them doesn’t spoil the intrigue.

The premise is a nice look into more modern horror. A situation that could only come about due to a 2020-type occupation. Paranormal vlogger is not exactly something that could have supported a story twenty years ago. Morgan is able to convey immediacy and gravity to how much hinges on the success of Greg’s channel. Where a story revolving around a channel he ran as a hobby wouldn’t hold the same weight, we immediately understand that this is the way they pay the mortgage, the way they pay the bills. If we understand the stakes, the lengths become easier to wrap our heads around.

I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to see this performed as a play at some point, maybe even made into a movie. Don’t let the fact that this is a play drive you away. A talented storyteller, like Briana Morgan, is able to do it across mediums. The horror novel reader is going to find a lot to like in the dread, obsession, and almost urban legend-like quality on display here.