Sightless – Netflix Review (2/5)

SIGHTLESS is a new thriller on Netflix starring Riverdale‘s Madelaine Petsch. There is definite potential in this storyline and you can see glimpses of what could have been. Unfortunately, it has a rather predictable plot twist. Read our full Sightless movie review here!

SIGHTLESS is a new thriller on Netflix that seems both familiar and predictable. It will no doubt draw in plenty of viewers thanks to its star (Riverdale‘s Madelaine Petsch). And yes, I think lots of watchers will even enjoy this movie, but it won’t be fans of thrillers in general.

Basically, the plot twist can be spotted from a mile away. Also, there is so much wrong with the overall approach to her being blind. And do not get me started on the budgie! Seriously, I won’t mention it again, but what the hell happened to the bird? Apart from it being very symbolic, obviously.

Continue reading our Sightless movie review below and find it on Netflix now.

“Perception is my only reality.”

That’s a quote from the movie which is said out loud by the lead character, Ellen (Madelaine Petsch) when she’s sitting alone. You know, as you do when you’ve just lost your eyesight. There are many moments in this movie that feel unrealistic and pure fluff to get a good shot or to get a specific line in there.

Overall, the story lack originality in the worst ways. We get a movie full of scenes we’ve already seen in other movies before. From the rather awful In Darkness (2018) to the well-executed Spanish horror movie Julia’s Eyes (2010) – which you should watch instead – or even Faces in the Crowd (2011) starring Milla Jovovich.

If you’ve watched those three movies, then you’ve pretty much watched all the “twists” in Sightless. Hell, even the poster for this movie looks like The Nightingale combined with Thelma (2017). Another two movies, I’d highly recommend watching!

Along with Madelaine Petsch – who was also in the horror movie Polaroid (2019) – we get Alexander Koch, who was pretty damn good in the Stephen King series Under the Dome. Also in Sightless is December Ensminger who debuted with a small role in the first season of True Detective.

The ending of Sightless on Netflix

I am not a fan of the Sightless ending. Mostly because it’s both open-ended and somewhat vague (to put it mildly), but also because it was so damn predictable. I don’t want to do spoilers for the Sightless ending, but (admittedly!) the following two paragraphs might do just that. In other words, consider yourself mildly warned of spoilers.

A lot can be saved with a few extra twists or touches of actual surprise at the ending of a movie like this. Unfortunately, the slow-burn development of the plot carries on to the very end. There is a grotesque focus on creating a strange rom-com feeling during the first half. And fine, that can work (even if it didn’t work for me in this case). 

However, this is a thriller and the circumstances are rather brutal. This makes for a desperate need to deal with the romantic element in a much better way than it ultimately was. Also, the actual final scene was just irritating to me. I only enjoy it when I decide that it’s much more open (and dark) than what I felt the actual intention was.

Watch Sightless on Netflix now!

Cooper Karl is the writer and director of Sightless which is based on his own short film from 2017. The two productions are his only IMDb credits. I don’t know exactly where things went wrong with this feature film version. All I can say is that the trailer for the short film version of this story was more riveting than this actual feature film.

Mostly, I think I found myself getting irritated by seeing those glimpses of something that could have been terrifyingly brilliant. Those few moments where a scene worked and you felt the horror the main character, Ellen, is experiencing.

Like when a scar appears on someone because she feels it on their skin. Or how a budgie (okay, fine, I mentioned it again) changes color when she is told what color it is. Now that makes for building a creepy world that could result in a story I’d want to watch.

Sightless is out on Netflix in most countries from January 20, 2021.

Details

Director: Cooper Karl
Writer: Cooper Karl
Stars: Madelaine Petsch, Alexander Koch, December Ensminger, Deniz Akdeniz, Jarrod Crawford