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See For Me Review

 




Directed by: Randall Okita
Written by: Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue
Produced by: David Di Brina, Adam Yorke, Matt Code, and Kristy Neville
Cinematographer: Jackson Parrell and Jordan Oram
Edited by: James Vandewater
Starring: Skyler Davenport, Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Pascal Langdale, Joe Pingue, George Tchortov, and Laura Vandervoort
Runtime: 92 mins



 

         Within the home invasion sub-genre, it has become something of a trope to use a victim with an impairment. This was established early on with the blind protagonists in Wait Until Dark (1967) and See No Evil (1971) and has continued with the recent wave of home invasion films including Mischief Night (2013) and Blind (2019). Mike Flanagan also provided a variation on the trope with the hearing-impaired victim of Hush (2016). Often these impairments are a new reality for the protagonist, and the efforts to evade and fight back against the intruders of the home invasion narrative provide opportunity for renewed confidence. Canadian home invasion thriller See For Me predictably follows this formula, though it does so with a few new twists.

 

        Before losing her sight, Sophie (Skyler Davenport) had a successful career as a professional skier. Rather than working towards learning how to ski with the help of a guide, the bitter teen takes jobs housesitting for wealthy homeowners, stealing from them on the side. Worried about the isolation of a job watching a cat and remote luxury home owned by a recently divorced woman (Laura Vandervoort), Sophie’s mother (Natalie Brown) sends her the link for a new app called ‘See for Me.’ As resistant as Sophie is to assistance from anyone, she is forced to use the service after being locked out of the home. Sophie is connected to ‘See for Me’ employee Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), an Iraq War veteran with a penchant for first-person shooter video games.

 

        Sophie relies on Kelly’s eyes as well as her military/gaming skills when the home is suddenly invaded on her first night in the home. Three intruders (George Tchortov, Pascal Langdale, and Joe Pingue) break in and disable the alarm with the guidance of a fourth man (Kim Coates) located somewhere in the wilderness outside the house as a lookout. Unaware that Sophie is inside, they attempt to crack into a safe hidden in the walls of the home. With the help of Kelly, Sophie evades the thieves and makes plans to defend herself while waiting for the police to respond to her call for help.

 

        See for Me lacks the intensity of some of the more brutal home invasion horror, while retaining much of the formula. The one addition to the narrative is the assistance provided by Kelly, which is foreshadowed early on with a scene of the veteran barking commands to fellow gamers online. Once Sophie is able to arm herself with a handgun, Kelly guides her actions to defend herself against the attacking invaders. Even this added element is somewhat fleeting, as the trope of a low cell phone battery is brought into the mix.

 

        Predictable and formulaic as See for Me may be, it will satisfy the expectations of audiences who enjoy home invasion thrillers. In the past two decades these narratives have become increasingly popular, and with that comes a certain amount of repetition. These elements may be found in countless other home invasion films but See for Me manages to utilize them with a higher level of effectiveness than most. While somewhat forgettable, there are enough thrills in See for Me to keep audiences engaged.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance:  5/10

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