Losing your sight is one of the worst things that you can imagine happening. It means readjusting to the world in an entirely different way. It would be that much harder adjusting knowing that your blindness was caused by an attacker who was not yet apprehended…
Sightless is a film that I had heard little about apart from that it starred Madelaine Petsch. We follow her character, Ellen, as she learns to navigate through the world after being attacked and losing her sight because of it. She is assisted by a caretaker paid for by her brother, who teaches her the various skills she needs to cope.
However, as time goes on, she starts to notice certain things because of her other heightened senses. She firstly hears a dispute between her neighbours and believes there to be a domestic abuse issue. She then notices the car alarm that goes off at the same time every day.
At one point, her attacker revisits her in her new apartment, but upon investigation, there is no sign of forced entry nor any marks on her neck, causing her to question her own reality. All she has to rely on are her new senses and according to those closest to her, those senses cannot be trusted. That turmoil leads her to make a drastic decision which leads somewhere she could not have anticipated.
As I’ve said in my other reviews, I’m not fond of giving away too many spoilers. What I would say though, is I enjoyed watching the film but found it quite forgettable. It was unclear where they were going with the film and that in itself makes it quite interesting. Naturally, we want to find out who the attacker is (and we do by the end), but then that premise feels neglected quite quickly. It then appears to be a love story that again doesn’t go too far. There is also the question of her family and friends not being in the picture at all.
One of my favourite things about this film is the way in which the viewer experiences it. We see things how Ellen imagines them based on the information she is given. That is the most thrilling part for me as halfway through, as the viewer, you question everything you are watching which is exactly how someone newly blind would likely feel. Most of the questions are answered and visually, it’s interesting to watch. Ellen isn’t supposed to be the most likable character but we do want her to succeed. We find out information about her past that feels irrelevant and that’s a little frustrating.
The biggest disappointment for me is probably the ending. It’s not a terrible ending but it feels very dramatic compared to the rest of the film. The reason it’s frustrating I believe is that it would have been more interesting to play on the notion of doubting her sense. They shouldn’t all be perfect straight away and there would be a good chance that she would make some mistakes with imagining people. Perhaps even more interesting would be that at the end of the film, we see the characters for who they truly are, as though this whole film, we too have been blind.
Overall, I would recommend watching it when you have some free time but not expect too much from it. It is a thriller and it keeps you guessing throughout. Some elements are predictable but it’s hard to create something that would be entirely unexpected. It’s an enjoyable thriller without being too scary and the acting from the cast is practically perfect.
My rating 6/10
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