Look Away

The first part is excellent; touching, creepy, interesting and really very chilling at times. A mix of believable characters and relationships, very well acted. The stage is set perfectly, but unfortunately in the second half the violence somehow undoes the tension already established. It's as if they couldn't resist the temptation to overdo it. Less would have been much more. Rather than build on the psychological and atmospheric creepiness, they throw it away with a rather unimaginative, predictable story arc, where the very dramatic actions feel over the top, and lack impact. A shame, as this really could have been excellent. Nonetheless, worth a watch.

Actors were great but the writing and directing, not so much. A lot of scenes felt over the top, forced, and unbelievable. Like "That would never really happen that way" and made me cringe and shake my head. If the writing and directing had been a little more creative and realistic, it could have been a great movie.

Look Away: The Evil Twin is a much (ab)used trope in Horror but this film puts some life back into the genre. Maria (India Elsley) is an introverted teen, bullied at school, her demanding father (Jason Isaacs) doesn't really listen to her, her mother suffers from depression due to Isaac's philandering. She notices that her reflection differs from her and is at first freaked out but gradually starts to converse with her mirror image, Airam. Maria's life gets even worse, the bullying intensifies and she comes into conflict with her one friend. Airam persuades Maria to let her "come through" the mirror" and take the driving seat. This Dark Maria causes mayhem.

It is never clear as to whether Maria is suffering from a disorder or whether the consciousness of a lost twin lives on within her. Iaram is truly a mirror image, turning the tables on bullies and resorting to savage violence. No one is safe once she has set her aims on a desired object. The real horror in this film is the bullying which is ignored/overlooked by adults and tolerated by school students. Nasty though Airam's actions are, they take place in a context. A certain eerie gothic quality permeates the film. Not a classic but Director/Writer Assaf Bernstein delivers an intriguing Horror/Thriller. 7.5/10. On Netflix.

I loved this movie! The motley crew of characters were beautifully portrayed by the cast. From jason Isaacs self indulgent, perfectionism - to Mira Sorvino's disturbing deep-seated sadness and her hunger for her husbands attention - to John C. MacDonald's portrayal of the school bully, who deep inside knows he could never get the attentions of the beautiful Maria. Yes, he was incredibly believable, they all were.

And lets not forget (how could we she was SO good,)India Eisley. She was exceptional to say the least and she's a new find for me. Needless to say, I want to see more of her. Her portrayal of the demure, disturbed, invisible school girl to her confident, angry alter-ego twin, was flawless. Her expressions alone were noteworthy. I think and hope we're going to see more of this young actress in the near future.

Was this a perfect movie, no. There are flaws and I think the ending needed a bit more attention but I was in for the long haul within the first 10 minutes and I'm glad I stayed the course because it delivered. IMO it's worth a watch and definitely worth your time.

Maria (India Eisley) is a timid high school senior. Her father Dan (Jason Isaacs) is a plastic surgeon who is obsessed with perfect looks. Her mother Amy (Mira Sorvino) is struggling with depression. At school, her only friend figure skater Lily is possessive of her boyfriend Sean. She gets bullied by schoolmate Mark and his friends. She starts having visions of her reflections acting differently and talking back to her. The reflection calls herself Airam.

It has the tone of a good slow moody horror without the scares. It is a bit too slow and Mark really needs to die to set it off. Mark's bullying is problematic when the only person coming to her rescue is Sean. The skating party comes off really weird when everybody is laughing at her. There is one creepy aspect to this movie. While India is 25 and the character is 18, India looks really young and the sexual erotic aspect gets voyeuristic. It would be less creepy if she's playing a college student. She's a quiet actress and seems limited in range. She is able to play two separate personalities and that works better than expected.