Blind has the story and a lead that could have it be quite an interesting horror film. Yet it flounders in areas that it most certainly should not. A stylish looking film that offers nothing else.
After losing her vision in a freak accident, former actress Faye is living alone in her dream home. Struggling to come to terms with her lost career and a new life without sight. She soon gets the uneasy feeling that all is not right with her new world. When a masked stranger shows up and moves in; Faye soon begins to realise she is far from alone.
The script is uniquely poor here, in saying that it is not helped by some of the characters who are there to bring those words to life. A character in the support group sounds as if they are lazily reading the lines given to her. Or she is disheartened by the utterly clunky lines in the script. Characters who have just been given the script right before their scene starts. A disjointed feel to the film is present immediately when we see actors such as Sarah French and Caroline Williams in comparison to a lot of those who they have to work with.
It is a poor showing all around by the supporting cast and such a disappointment as this is a premise that could go somewhere. An actress with an impairment is found and stalked by a stalker from her past. This is somewhere the story could and should have gone. Show us how our killer was obsessed for so long, how Faye had thought she had escaped him. Only to be struck down with an impairment once he comes back on the scene. That is a compelling story, instead of a film that dawdles when it needs to run or at least walk briskly.
Visually a lot of works here in Blind. Cinematographer Thomas Rist has given us a gorgeous looking film that dazzles in the blue tint provided. He can photograph the LA hills very well and while it is nothing we have not seen before in the film, for a low budget horror, some recognition is undoubtedly needed to be sent his way for his work here. If only the direction and script could be on par with it. Equally, our masked killer is interesting to look at and so much more could be done with him, other than him just standing at windows or imagining what it would be like to dance with Faye.
Usually, it is fine and dandy for a film to run short if that is all the story to tell. But when is almost unforgivable is for a film to have padding. Especially so when it comes to a horror movie, there are scenes that could easily be added in or something is done to fill out time if need be. But if your film is just 70 minutes overall in length, then that is more than acceptable. Increasing the run time for no reason harms the film. A prime example of this is a scene (and not the only one) in Blind that had an incredibly dull amount of padding in it. A “dance” scene that should in reality be less than 20 seconds, runs on for almost two minutes to pointless effect when we get to the reason for it to be existing.
While French is convincing in her role. She focuses a tad too much on playing blind that she does not react to instances throughout the film with her face. A scene with a police officer has her seemingly worried that she called them to investigate a possible break-in. Yet she stands still, only to fold her arms. It is quite a strange choice to make, that she would merely stand stoic and emotionless as the policeman walks through the house.
For a character who is meant to be blind. For some reason, it was decided that she would have endless candles lit around her house. Especially as someone who is recently visually impaired.
We are also told early on that visually impaired people’s senses are heightened, or at least they are more aware of smells and sounds. A character in the support group does call this out and maybe that is the point that is trying to be made? That points out that all of the other films that have had a lead with an impairment. That it isn’t a universal point that they have eventually improved other senses.
Regardless the film falls flatly on its face when the sound design in Blind is next to non-existent. The score attacks your ears when it should be more careful. A character’s hand appears from a doorway and an Insidious time noise is emitted to scare the audience. When in fact we should be feeling much more like Faye. We should be as in the unknown as she is and when we see what she can’t we should be terrified from the visuals, not the score.
What strikes most about Blind is how anti-climactic the film feels. People are murdered for next to no reason, there is no struggle throughout the film. Faye goes on through her day and night harmlessly as her stalker kills all those around her without her knowing. At no point does she investigate strange things going on. She calls the police when something is off in her home, yet stays in the place she feels in danger. The expected third act fight doesn’t happen and the film ends.
There is no urgency, no want to do something, anything from the characters that you wonder what the point is of it all. Blind could go down interesting avenues yet it decides to not go middle of the road, which would be appreciated. But to stall and reverse at every opportunity. Blind is a film that could be something excellent, it just isn’t brave enough to try to be.
Blind leaves its audience like Rist’s wonderful palette of Faye’s hillside LA home, cold and emotionless. Incredibly disappointing.
★★
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