InSight

InSight is not a film that is easily forgotten nor brushed over. It starts off with some pretty extreme circumstances, we learn through fast cuts and dialogue that a girl named Allison Parks has been brutally attacked and we don't know why. Neither does the main character in the film, Kaitlyn, who plays one of the nurses trying to save Allison's life, as she is suffering from multiple stab wounds. Kaitlyn thinks for a moment that Allison is trying to communicate with her in some way, but before Kaitlyn can find out much, a defibrillator shocks Allison and she dies. The electricity travels through Allison's body and knocks out Kaitlyn, who then begins to see memories from Allison's life or so we are lead to believe for much of the film.

The uniqueness of InSight is how in which the story is told. Methodically, as slowly we learn more and less at the same time. I imagine it's hard for an audience to piece together what is real and what is only in Kaitlyn's mind, and I imagine that's the whole point. We struggle as the main character does to try and figure out whether Allison's murder was a random killing or something more. Along the way we are introduced to a skeptical detective, Kaitlyn's sick mother, a sleazy psychiatrist, and Allison's ex-boyfriend, all of these characters add to the mystery. None of them confirm for the audience on which end of the spectrum the story will end. Whether or not this was just a random killing and Kaitlyn is just hallucinating these memories, or there's something more to this murder, and Kaitlyn is the only one who can figure it out.

Richard Gabai directs this thriller in a way that allows the audience to piece-by-piece figure things out with the characters. By the end it's really up for interpretation what the truth is. If you see this with a friend, you will be discussing it long after the credits roll.

I arrived at the theater not knowing a thing about InSight. It was a new movie and I recognized a couple of the names in the cast, but hadn't seen any advertising for it, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.

The film lays out its premise fairly early on. A nurse that is caring for a dying E.R. patient is accidentally electrocuted and hears her say something that no one else in the room does before she passes out. She finds herself having visions of things she's never experienced and she thinks that they're somehow tied to the patient she tried to save. As she goes about trying to make sense of it all, she runs across the detective investigating the case. Between the two of them, they attempt to discern what really happened to the girl who died in the E.R.

It sounds like one of your typical thriller tropes: good-looking detective and good-looking victim work to solve crime and in the process, they get it on.

What makes InSight different from the typical B (or C, or D) movies that follow that formula is that it is actually good. Not only is the production value very high, but Natalie Zea (who plays the nurse) and Sean Patrick Flanery (the lead detective) actually spark off some flames during their on screen time. Their chemistry works and their scenes together are top-notch. Also turning in noteworthy performances are Angeline Rose-Troy as Allison, the victim of the crime, Adam Baldwin as Dr. Graham Barrett, and Juliet Landau as Dr. Lisa Rosan.

The strong cast helps kick the movie into high gear shortly after the basic setup is explained, and halfway through the movie you know they've done their job when you find yourself leaning forward in your seat and furrowing your brow as you try to pick apart the mystery. The writers throw some very interesting curve-balls at you, keeping the action fresh and eventually leading to a satisfying ending.

InSight is incredibly underrated and deserves more attention. It is a well-acted intelligent film that is perfect for a date night with a special someone.

The story/idea of this psychological thriller is fantastic. That said, the directors made a complete mess out of it. I understand it was a low budget movie, but they had a great story and could have utilized the direction of this movie much better. Acting was alright. however, It was slow and boring. I almost stopped watching it halfway through nevertheless somehow made it to the end. The ending gives you some "InSight". It leaves you with quite a few scenarios that might have happened. The overall movie did give me a bit of a cringe, dark and sad feeling. I was gonna give it a 1/10 then notched up another +4 for the ending.

In the movies, the idea of crossing spirits or visions between two people that are experiencing death is not new, but sometimes is effective like in this case. it looks like the main characters are well defined and this is not cause the script. It happens because the acting is good enough. The problem begins when a good idea have not a good development and the ending it is not well justified. Even till close to the end you can think you are watching an average movie and that it was not a waist of time. But when the justifications of almost everything you suspected are shown just with images, if you were awake, you realize that there are loose ends and that makes you feel you saw a crappy movie. The idea is good but it is not well finished. Natalie Zea is correct in her role as well as Sean Patrick Flanery. It is always a pleasure to see Veronica Cartwright's acting but her role is small. If you don't have anything else to do, look for something better than this movie.

Insight is one of the most exciting films I've seen in a long time. From the first beat to the last, my heart was racing with inexplicable and unexpected excitement, a feeling shared by others I talked to afterwards. The story grabs you right away, and you hang on for the ride until you get dumped off on your butt at the end, blinking and wondering what the heck just happened. You immediately want to see it again to catch all the subtleties you know you missed the first time around! This fast-paced flick is a multi-dimensional thrill- ride layered with subtle psychological/philosophical/sociological twists and turns that intrigue the viewer all the way to the end and leaves you unsure of what dimension you've arrived at and what conclusion to draw. The direction, camera work, acting and chemistry are right on target; characters exude mystery,pathos, loyalty, betrayal, lechery all leading to the question of Who Killed Allison Parks?! See this film and you will not be disappointed!