Às Cegas

Maybe it's because I've seen a lot of terrible movies recently, but I thought this one was really good!

A super effective slow burn, and a really unique plot that unfolds perfectly. Madeline Petsch did a phenomenal job playing Ellen, with a really believable performance as a blind woman. The use of close up shots throughout the film was really well done and there were moments when the score paired incredibly with the cinematography.

The last ten or so minutes are a little underwhelming, but it doesn't take away from the movie as a whole. A super suspenseful and effective Psychological Thriller, and an excellent directorial debut from Cooper Karl.

A slow burner with a twist at the end that makes the whole thing very unrealistic. I get what they were trying to say. It's like she said, perception is everything but if you really think about it, it just doesn't make sense. It's watchable but I can't recommend it.

Ellen Ashland (Madelaine Petsch) is blinded by an attacker and her expensive violin gets stolen. Her estranged brother sets up a convenient downtown apartment for her and hires Clayton (Alexander Koch) to help her adjust to her new blindness. She starts hearing disturbances from the apartment next door.

I really love the idea of visualizing her blindness. The bird is great. My only suggestion is to go full-bore with this premise. The pictures and art should be blank unless she is otherwise told. Any fabric should not have prints. I like the blues. It takes some careful attention but this visualizing blindness really works. Now, the reveal isn't much of a surprise. By that time, one could bake a cake with all the bread crumps. It's still interesting. On the other hand, a couple of ideas don't add up. It doesn't make sense with the brother. One assumes that Ellen would recognize her own brother's voice. An easy fix would be a letter instead of a phone call. The other is Lana. There is no reason to inject her into the drama other than a writer's prerogative. I don't see her helping Ellen play the violin again and that's the only possible motive. It's one of those things that doesn't stand up to a little bit of scrutiny. Overall, this is interesting but it does have a few problems.

This movie wasn't great but not quite deserving of the 4 it has...There were a few plot holes that were not addressed by the end, like the whereabouts of certain people yet some aspects of the film are original. It's somewhat predictable but I still found myself surprised at certain parts. I give it a 5.5.

Great watch, would watch again, and do recommend.

Sensory handicap movies are a special niche, and they're usually pretty interesting. That doesn't mean that they're good, but they usually do something different and special.

For deaf movies, sometimes they'll do a POH (Point Of Hearing) from the main character to immerse you in the character's role, but it is very hard to do that for blindness as normally you would be looking at a black / white screen, though it works for partial blindess.

This movie handles it in a way I've never seen before, and it is fantastic. While Madelaine Petsch, and I'm a fan, carries this movie well and shows she's more than her role on "Riverdale", it is really the visual depiction of an amazing story that should make you watch this.