“I See You” is a crime thriller with elements of horror starring the great Helen Hunt. This one follows a common family as strange events begin to happen in their home. Occurrences that slowly begin to increase which unsettles an already unstable family dynamic. I had a great time with this movie. It was unique despite some tropes here and there and in the end, it created the unpredictability and showcases the creative effort you want in a genre film of this size.
It enters on this family that already has a few fractured relationships and when these small occurrences start to be noticed, as the viewer you can already sense things will not go well for them. It creates interest in wanting to see where these strange happenings with go, and how the characters will react to them. I do think there could have been more development to the characters, some more than others. Yet, with them having somewhat common family layers that anyone can relate to, there is a normality to them you can easily connect with, at least enough for the needs of the story.
It weaves a few genres into its own narrative, and it will keep you guessing. The story gives the impression of being one thing then uses nicely timed misdirection to keep the viewer intrigued, and at times on edge from the curiosity of where the story will go next. Much of the story-line takes place inside this home and the camera moves nicely throughout to create both an uneasiness and a vastness that gives the story room to play. There is a nice use of lighting and shadows to build intensity and it does so without trying too hard.
Helen Hunt was the spot-light with a subtle but commanding performance. She made the most of the role to create the normal family patriarch you can invest in. One that is likable, but still flawed like people can be. She captures the full emotional spectrum of the role and her screen presence alone was enough to carry this film along for me. However, added to her performance is a story that does have flaws but not such a high level of disbelief that you can’t still invest in it. And despite some tropes the story is sectioned out nicely to keep the predictability low which had me engaged.
This is an entertaining film that tells a dark, but charismatic story. And it uses a few genres to make it feel like its own. It makes the most of a smaller budget, and the lack of studio polish is a positive for this contained story that delivers large amounts of appeal. So, if you like films that can keep you on edge with enough twists to keep you intrigued, I recommend this one.
GRADE: 70%
