See For Me Review

Director: Randall Okita

Cast: Skyler Davenport, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Laura Vandervoort, George Tchortov, Pascal Langdale, Joe Pingue, Kim Coates

Screenplay: Adam Yorke, Tommy Gushue

Running Length: 1:32

MPAA Classification: Not Rated (Violence, Language) 

U.S Release Date: 1-07-22 (Limited & VOD)

Genre:  Mystery/Thriller  

                It’s always a shame whenever a film has a great concept but fails to do anything memorable or interesting with it – and that’s unfortunately the case here. See For Me is a home invasion thriller with a unique twist not seen very often in this genre – that in which the main character is blind. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this concept; the most notable example would be the Audrey Hepburn classic Wait Until Dark, but sadly, that’s the only other example out there. There’s so much that the filmmakers could have done with this premise, and yet, it’s shocking how the end result turned out to be so ordinary and forgettable.

                Our heroine is Sophie (Skyler Davenport), a downhill skier whose once-promising career is cut short when she is diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease causing blindness. To make money, she accepts an ad for a cat-sitting job placed by a wealthy woman named Debra (Laura Vandervoort) who is leaving for a vacation after divorcing her husband. Not long after she’s left alone, she accidentally locks herself out of the house. With the help of See For Me, an app designed to help blind people connect with a seeing helper via a video call, she connects to a woman named Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), a former soldier turned gamer who helps her get back inside. That night she’s awoken to three men who break into what they think is an empty house in order to bust open a hidden safe that contains seven million dollars. Eventually both parties become aware of each other and a cat-and-mouse game ensues as Kelly tries to get Sophie to safety with the help of the See For Me app.

                The film starts with promise as we get to see how Sophie goes about her life and the way she’s able to navigate her new surroundings once she gets to the mansion. It’s only when the three men break into the house that the film goes downhill fast and never recovers. The first issue lies with how Sophie’s character is written – she comes across as extremely unlikeable, making it hard to root or care for her in any way. I understand that the film wants to show us that she isn’t just another young helpless blind woman (something that should be done more often), but to have her character constantly shut down help almost every single time while making questionable decisions in the process (one of which that has fatal consequences for another character later on in the film) makes for a frustrating viewing experience.

                The other issue is the surprising lack of suspense. It’s almost baffling how much director Randall Okita fails to milk this premise for all its worth. Part of the problem is again, the character of Sophie, but there’s also nothing innovative or creative about the way this film is shot. There’s no stand-out moment, nor are there any twists or surprises, something that this film desperately needed.

                   In the end, this is just a standard home invasion thriller that fails to make use of its interesting hook. Not to mention that the film wastes its solid cast with the stand-out being Skyler Davenport (who is blind in real life). Disregarding her obnoxious character, she does a credible job with what she’s given; here’s hoping we’ll see more of her in the future. If you want to see a more recent example of a film with a similar premise to this that does a far better job and gives you a better idea of what this film could have been, I highly recommend the underrated 2016 thriller, Hush.