A woman who is trying to escape from her murderous ex in the woods has to rely on a video call as her eyes in this tense thriller.
Starring: Missi Pyle, Midori Francis, Jolene Purdy
Let’s face facts: the technological age is as about as robust as you could possibly imagine, and in the realm of horror films it can either make or break an entire presentation. If you’re looking to push your product as a retro-throwback, you don’t have to rely on all the bells & whistles that we’re inundated with on a daily basis (social media, cameras everywhere & the ability to contact anyone, anywhere at anytime). Luckily, in the case of Director Yoko Okumura’s white-knuckler, UNSEEN, technology proves to be not only a saving grace but a protagonist of sorts – let’s dive into this one, shall we?
Our main focus of the film is Sam (Purdy), an anxiety-ridden gas-station cashier that is pretty much on the losing end of all things that she encounters in life. Dogged by her boss, customers and her own psyche, no one would expect her to flash signs of being a savior when she’s mistakenly contacted via cell by a woman named Emily (Francis) who’s in a bit of a crisis herself. Seems that Emily and her violent, controlling psycho of a boyfriend, Charlie (Michael Patrick Lane) has attempted to end things (and I don’t mean JUST the relationship) at a secluded cabin. Emily’s managed to escape, but without her glasses – leaving her at a serious disadvantage of trying to maneuver the expansive forest she’s trying to find her way out of in the hopes of fleeing her lunatic-lover. Okumura throws down the gauntlet ASAP in this presentation, giving the audience a sense of fear & hopelessness when it pertains to both main characters, and what it accomplishes is that much of the guesswork is taken out of breaking down & building up entities in a fashion that would normally prove time-consuming.
Both Purdy & Francis’s characters rely on each other during the remainder of the film, and even with some outside distractions in Sam’s existence (Missi Pyle as a Karen-esque gas-station customer is pure gold), there still is a sense that she deep-down is in control of more than she thinks. Even with an abbreviated runtime of sorts (75 minutes), Okumura gives the viewers a film that might not tick all the boxes as far as “mile-a-minute thrills & chills” but it’s at the least an entertaining way to kill under an hour & a half…I’d honestly put UNSEEN in the category of “seen it once – and I’m all set.” If you’re in the mood for a breezy, character-driven display of fear, despair, revenge and ultimately closure, then give this one a look-see when it comes around.
At the tender age of 6, Matt was indoctrinated into the horror genre by his mother, who asked him to sit down and watch "The Exorcist" with her - ever since then, it's been a blood-soaked, neon-lit, fever dream of an existence. "You don't make horror...horror makes you."
(Can't remember who came up with this quote, but he was probably off-kilter like I am).
