Unseen

When I opted to sit down and watch the 2023 thriller "Unseen", I had actually never heard about the movie. But the movie's synopsis sounded interesting enough, and the cover definitely was an eye-catcher. So yeah, of course I opted to sit down and watch what director Yoko Okumura had to offer.

And color me impressed. I wasn't really expecting such an entertaining movie. The storyline in "Unseen", as written by Salvatore Cardoni and Brian Rawlins, was such a refreshing approach to the stalked-in-the-woods type of movie. I really enjoyed the whole aspect of Emily (played by Midori Francis) having poor eyesight and having to rely on the eyes of Sam (played by Jolene Purdy) through video call on a battered mobile phone. It was quite a nice way of adding a very modern element, and a very well-functioning element I might add, to the movie.

I wasn't familiar with leading actresses Midori Francis and Jolene Purdy, but they really carried the movie quite well with their performances. I definitely was impressed with what I saw on the screen. The movie also has a nice appearance by Missi Pyle, whom was the only familiar face on the cast list for me.

Visually then director Yoko Okumura makes good use of distorted and blurred lenses to illustrate Emily's vision as she stumbled through the forest, depending on the eyes of Sam on the other end of the video call. "Unseen" is not a movie that uses an abundance of special effects, nor does it need to do so, as "Unseen" is a well-functioning psychological thriller. And it sort of gets under your skin and makes you feel like you're right there in the forest alongside with Emily.

I was genuinely surprised with the entertainment level from "Unseen", and it is a movie that I warmly recommend you to sit down and watch. I was genuinely and wholeheartedly entertained from beginning to end of this movie from director Yoko Okumura.

My rating of "Unseen" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.

Stylistically, Unseen is a pretty decent film.

It's got a bit of a cult vibe to it.

And the idea is pretty cool - a legally (though, not fully) blind woman, having been taken hostage by her psychopathic ex boyfriend, escapes, and gets lost wandering aimlessly in the woods, while trying to find her way to safety.

But conceptually, it's inherently flawed.

Mainly, because...if you were trying to escape from someone in the woods...the first rule of survival would to be as quiet as humanly possible.

Not talking incessantly on your phone at full volume, shooting the shizz with the random convenience store clerk you accidentally called to help you navigate your way back to civilization.

Humourously, most of the tension arises from the banal issues the convenience store clerk must deal with- in her bid to help save her new friend- as opposed to the situation the woman actually fleeing for her life finds herself in.

While, ironically, it's the psychopath stalker who ends up taking the brunt of the physical punishment.

The fact that everything is flipped on it's head, makes for quite a fun and engaging film.

So you quickly forget about it's more fatal flaws - like how her phone still works after falling into the river.

And just roll with the punches.

Because it's more rewarding to focus on what works...than dwell on the bits that don't, because they are completely implausible.

No matter which way you look at it, however...you've got to admit...it's pretty damn entertaining.

With lots of action, a decent amount of tension, and some truly hilarious scenarios.

So if you can go into it with an open mind, you're sure to enjoy yourself.

And leave knowing...that not all heroes wear smocks.

But some do.

5.5 out of 10.

I watched the film not expecting much, but it was surprisingly good. The two actresses who carried the movie were great. Midori Francis and Jolene Purdy, who I hope to see more of in the future are very talented.

It was the theme from Cell taken to the next level with a creative twist of one woman (Sam) having to be the eyes for another woman (Emily) escaping from her homicidal ex-boyfriend. In the process the women become empowered, both refusing to be victims and help each other reclaim their lives. Missi Pyle, who is always great, tops it off with some comic relief as the stereotypical rich white lady from hell. You should check it out.

Unseen is absolutely ridiculous. But like a bad car wreck, you cannot stop watching, well some of us anyway. My friend couldn't take it. No spoilers, but all of it was highly improbable, unrealistic, and silly. Good for entertainment while you are folding clothes, brushing the dog or doing anything where your full attention is not required.

It could become one of those cult classics. But I just would not watch it again. Once for me is enough.

The movie seemed long and drawn out and I lost interest at times. It is never a good sign when you cannot wait for a movie to end.

A lot of the usual tropes present, but you can see for yourself.

Enjoyable indie movie that dumps you into a real life crazy situation immediately. The concept of this is pretty cool. I won't write spoilers but it's another tech type thriller involving FaceTime to help a woman literally see thru it (thus the title).

It's cleverly directed, using split screens and some other techniques to keep the audience on edge. The characters are pretty well developed and it drives pretty solid tension throughout.

On the downside it's predictable to a certain degree, the ancillary characters are way too over the top and some of the character decisions might make you say "come on now wtf". But given that, it's effective and quick too so you don't get off track for the most part.

There's some ridiculous "suspend reality" moments and it's tries a bit too hard to be comedic with cartoonish characters but it's still effective.

I would recommend if you like a quick 75 minute run time and some thriller/action/creativity. 6.3/10.