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.
