The Sight

Found this film to be quite enjoyable, considering it dealt with the spirit world and spirits that need a place called home. There is a serial killer loose and Andrew McCarthy,(Michael Lewis),"The Orphan King",'05, gets himself involved with the restoring of a very old Mansion and opens up boxes which contain all kinds of problems he has to face. Michael eventually gets assistance from Detective Pryce,(Amanda Redman),"Sexy Beast",2000, who resents Michael and thinks he is nuts and needs a shrink to solve his vision problems. If you like tales about the supernatural and spirit world this is a good film for you.

THE SIGHT is a TV movie wherein former '80s teen heart throb Andrew McCarthy helps track down a serial killer by using a newly developed gift of second sight and the help of some friendly spirits. McCarthy, a decent and likable actor, here portrays an American architect on assignment in London who can't believe his own eyes as the dead begin to contact him for help. This amiable knockoff of THE DEAD ZONE and THE SIXTH SENSE has some very clever visuals and terrific set design, courtesy of director Paul Anderson of "Resident Evil" notoriety. A satisfyingly violent climax makes up for the general flatness of this British/American TV pilot for a series that evidently never was. Anderson employs lots of well-done CGI to create a nightmarish mood rare for a TV movie. Two moments worthy of special note: McCarthy sitting in a playground full of kiddie ghosts and later surrounded by his spirit friends after a church service and funeral. A word of warning: The TV broadcast ending is different than the DVD ending. Ignore the DVD ending; it makes absolutely no sense.

This isn't a stand out film, but I caught on late night TV, and I was hooked enough to stay awake the couple of hours that this film took to watch.

The acting is good, the story feels original (even though there's nothing particularly special about it).

It feels like the movie length premier of a brand new supernatural series (think the Dead Zone). There are hints that there's more to the story than we get to see in this film, not a bad thing, but I'm at a loss as to why you'd hint so clearly at there being more stories than the one we're shown, if you had no intention of telling them.

Worth a couple of hours if you catch it on TV, or pick it up as a weekly rental. Don't buy it.

I watched "The Sight" on late night TV and was surprised by the quality of this made for TV movie. I had never heard of this film before and wasn't expecting much. It was definitely wasted in such a late time slot on Australian TV. The TV network and film would have benefited from an earlier time slot.

It had great atmosphere, sets, locations and an excellent British supporting cast. This gave the film an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of the British "Prime Suspect" series.

I was surprised by the American casting although Andrew McCarthy was likable and vulnerable as the lead.

The script and direction were very good and the British cast were superb. I was hooked on the story and for a change I didn't work out who the Killer was till the end.

I hadn't I seen or heard of this film before?

I completely disagree with the comment that this movie is a rip-off of The Sixth Sense. Whereas that film had no real plot and depended on the "surprise" to keep the viewer interested, this film gave the main character true power and depth. Granted, the cinematography was exceptional for a TV movie and was largely responsible for the eerie feel of the film, but so what? It was a small-budget picture that allowed us to see the remarkable talent of one of the 80's guys as an adult and was very impressive when considered with other cable movies of its kind. It also left us with the feeling that Andrew McCarthy's character might be able to parlay his ability into a series - which I would personally love to see. FX has done an amazing job with its original movies and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.