Not all horror is equal. It entails a degree of subjective understanding not shared by all.
Blind is a 2019 drama/thriller about obsession. That said, like Friday the 13th, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a myriad of other rip-off mute-in-a-mask movies, it appears at first to be just another journey into a masked killer stalking people. However, Blind stands apart in many (positive) ways from these monotonous killing spree films in that it explores a kind of horror that is very real – the stalker.
For most people, stalker films are just a shrug and a sigh, unless they have actually experienced the brute terror of a relentless predator watching their every move. For those who have been unfortunate to have first-hand experience, it is a very real and dire subject.
Blind’s story is nothing new. It is a typical synopsis, but its strength lies in the writing. Writer Joe Knetter takes a familiar subject and twists it with interesting concepts, using factors like physical disabilities to heighten the urgency of the characters’ struggles.
The story entails a Hollywood actress, Faye (Sarah French) who loses her sight. She wrestles with the damning consequences of quitting the film business and her feelings of hopelessness. With the help of her best friend, Sophia (Caroline Williams) and Luke (Tyler Gallant), a mute counsellor (who uses a speech program to communicate) that she is attracted to, Faye slowly tries to get used to her new way of life. What she does not know, is that there is another man in her life; one she is oblivious to and not just because of her impairment.
A killer called Pretty Boy lurks alarmingly close to Faye at all times, which brings in the creep factor of Blind in spades. The title is not only about the visually impaired, but about how it feels to be invisible to someone you admire and how blind they are to your existence.
With a TV drama vibe and an apparently unexplainable passion for Christmas lights, Blind is a slow burning thriller for a reason. The killing is secondary to the suspense, the latter being the point of the stalker genre. Director Marcel Walz has an undeniable flair for style and atmosphere, expertly using mirror imaging and contrasting jumps between the lives of Faye and Pretty Boy respectively. This is super effective in painting the characters, especially how close the stalker is to Faye throughout the film.
Blind is very stylish and has a distinct dramatic feel to it, so do not go into it expecting a horror with gratuitous body count – that is reserved for the sequel, Pretty Boy. Walz uses color like a weapon and employs camera angles to pitch serenity against chaos in certain scenes.
The downside to Blind is that Faye is hard to like and comes across as a moping and bland woman who delivers tedious monologues that threaten the pace of the film. Miss French seems to confuse visual impairment with robotic tone and movement. She portrays Faye as a drone without much emotion and it leaves you indifferent to her plight. Her reactions to severe moments of terror lacks the necessary emotions to make it believable. In fact, Caroline Williams as the best friend is far more impactful and real, giving her character endearing qualities.
Blind thrives on portraying the vulnerability of stalker victims and touches on vanity in contrast to visual appeal as how blind we are to substance in the presence of beauty.
It is frustrating not to know who Pretty Boy is, why he stalks Faye and what his motives are, but it all comes to light in the sequel, Pretty Boy, so don’t hate on Blind too much. Avoid this film if you are looking for empty gore, but if you want to see a mannequin looking killer Ken doll getting his thrills on, you might just love Blind.
-Tasha Danzig
