See For Me is an all-too-familiar story that packs a few major punches and twists. Home invasion storylines have it easy. They rely on one aspect — fear — and it's not too challenging to tap into. These stories are able to easily prey on the reality of the situation, the instant eerieness that comes with an unwelcomed stranger encroaching too far into one's private life. It is a sub-genre that can bend its overarching classification by mindlessly mixing in a bit of horror, suspense, or comedy.
This new thriller flick crosses genres while refusing to put forward cookie-cutter protagonists and murder-happy assailants. In its opening scenes, it adopts the tone of a coming-of-age drama, introducing its main character, visually-impaired Sophie (Skyler Davenport). Viewers first meet her butting heads with her mother. The young woman opts to snap and ignore her as she plans her latest escape. Sophie asserts her independence and refuses any semblance of help — a common theme for the first part of the movie. She explains that she's leaving home to cat-sit for a wealthy family and quickly disappears into a taxi.
Sophie finds herself watching over a beautiful, secluded mansion that's tucked away in the middle of nowhere. Her flaws are slowly revealed as she dismisses the instructions from the homeowner and ogles at the rich artifacts decorating the house. Sophie phones a friend and asks for his assistance in casing the place. This leads to a spat as it is revealed that she is an ex-skier who has no interest in returning to the slopes. Her workcation quickly grows in tension as the conversation is tensely halted and she finds herself locked out of the house, right after setting the home's security alarm.
Trapped outside in the winder with nobody around to help, she uses the speech function on her phone to download an app mentioned in passing by her mom called See For Me. This app connects visually impaired individuals to sighted ones via a video chat so that they can be of assistance. Sophie does not have luck with her first connection but eventually meets Army veteran Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy) who helps her break back into the house by lifehacking a sliding door.
After rummaging through the house to shut off the blaring alarms, knocking over plants and knickknacks along the way, it's clear that Sophie is desperate for a break. But, unfortunately for her, that wouldn't make for a thrilling movie. Instead, she finds herself in the middle of a grand heist after the house is intruded upon by a group of thieves. Chaos ensues as Sophie finds herself stuck in the crossroads between her seemingly innocent facade and her secret life of crime.
See For Me is certainly a must-watch. Directed by Randall Okita, the movie features some insane cinematography, alternating between leaving its viewers in the dark and flashing them with gorgeous scenery and lighting. It also has a refreshing wave of representation, choosing to uplift its underdog character by giving her a storyline that's not rooted in her disability.
Okita opened up to Game ZXC about his creative decisions in See For Me and the importance of casting a visually impaired actor to play Sophie. Davenport contributed greatly to the authenticity of the movie and viewers will be able to feel their presence in every carefully-constructed shot and body movement.
Then, there's also the expert pacing of See For Me which leaves no time for wandering minds. Once the bad guys are introduced into the picture, there's no way out. Sophie and these thieves play a cat-and-mouse game, leading to the tragic demise of many. In due course, she decides to call up Kelly and request her help in getting out of the life-threatening situation. Armed with a gun and her iPhone, Sophie enters an intense fight for her life against the three trained criminals.
As the messy backgrounds of each character are revealed, it may feel like a coin toss when deciding who to cheer for. However, due to expert script-writing and performances, it's impossible to not fall infatuated with the unconventional kinship being sparked between the two young women.
In summary, this thriller invites its audience for an unpredictable rollercoaster of emotions and events. It combines daring twists-and-turns, and experimental cinematography (that totally works) to deliver a story like no other. Frankly put, it'd be a miscalculation to not stream this movie from the comfort of the couch — just make sure the doors are locked first.
See For Me opens in select theaters, digital platforms, and VOD on January 7th.
See For Me