DON’T BLINK is proof that a movie does not have to appear particularly revolutionary or shocking to be effective. It is a clever study in concept—one that does not spoon-feed us answers, but would rather examine what happens when said concept is applied to a group of young people who want answers as badly as we do. Do they get them? Luckily, that’s not really the point.
One of my major issues with a lot of independent horror films is that their attempts at character development often end up as overwrought confessionals that do nothing to endear me to the people involved. I end up looking forward to their demise. Rooting for the monster, or what have you. To me, the mark of a good horror film is when I actually end up rooting for the characters instead of their enemy. And that’s exactly what happened with DON’T BLINK. I give kudos to the actors (Brian Austin Green? Who knew?), the script, and the subtle handling of material that could be ridiculously cheesy but is treated with respect by director and writer Travis Oates.
I won’t summarize the plot here, but it involves a cabin in the middle of nowhere (obviously), a group of young people, and a horrifying situation, like so many other movies. The situation, however, is trying to defend one’s own existence. People start to disappear, for seemingly no reason. Rather than go out in a glut of blood and glory, the characters literally vanish with no hurrah. It could be boring, but the strong acting and reactions make it pretty horrifying.
Another problem that plagues these movies is the tendency to think about what you would do in their place—and realizing that everyone onscreen is a moron. “Just run away!” you scream at them, annoyed. DON’T BLINK addresses those problems, and while it’s perhaps not entirely successful in negating them (there are ways to get away from a place that don’t involve a car), I came away from the film feeling comforted that I hadn’t just seen a story about idiots running in a circle. It helps that the threat of vanishing is not nearly as concrete as the threat of, say, a giant monster sneaking around killing people, and the solution is not so clear-cut.
In a kind of meta-textual twist, the movie ends up addressing its own agenda. “Don’t you want answers?” cries Alex, hysterically waving a gun around. It was around then that the film transcended the horror genre and settled somewhere around existential commentary—a completely unexpected and welcome development.
Bottom line: Not your typical horror schlock, this is a quiet and thoughtful movie that addresses fear of the inevitable while still managing to include exciting horror moments.
Writer: Travis Oates
Director: Travis Oates
Starring: Mena Suvari, Brian Austin Green, Zack Ward, Joanne Kelly, Fiona Gubelmann, David de Latour, Leif Gantvoort, Curtiss Frisle, Emelie O’Hara, Samantha Jacober
Release date: TODAY (September 19th) on VOD and in select theaters
Production Company: Vertical Entertainment
September 19, 2014 By Holly Interlandi