PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Randall Okita’s See For Me is about a blind teenage skier named Sophie (Skyler Davenport) who must fend off robbers while cat-sitting in a somewhat remote wealthy home. It is an interesting story because it gets its title from an app that she uses. See For Me lets a professional communicate with Sophie to help navigate the strange house. That’s both the film’s strength and potentially a source of detectible weaknesses. However, let’s not start looking at any flaws. Let’s first consider good elements to See For Me.
What Works in See For Me
To begin with, I appreciate that the characters in See For Me all have different personalities. They’re in a viewer’s company for a short time, but they don’t necessarily seem like stock characters. Sophie is not even the most likable person, frankly. An audience might mostly identify with her through her horrible experiences but wouldn’t necessarily want her as a neighbor, as her personality is a bit flawed.
Personally, I like that no one in this movie is a perfect, goody-two-shoes. There are really only characters who are less bad. Example: When Sophie’s on a phone call with her pal, Cam (Keaton Kaplan), he tries to talk her out of stealing from the home. This puts the viewer on their toes. We know that even as Sophie tries to elude robbers, she isn’t 100% above the law, either. If homeowner Debra (Laura Vandervoort) discovers Sophie’s possible intentions, it could lead to the police being involved, or at least her being fired. Plus, who’s going to believe a thief? Another basic strength in See For Me is that I simply have to say it’s not boring. At no point did I feel the movie was starting to really drag, which can happen even in good horror films.
Possible Critiques of See For Me
Navigating the house and averting criminals with an app is a risky prospect. There were times when, frankly, it seemed I needed to suspend disbelief. Sophie communicates with her helper, Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), fairly often throughout, and it seems like the robbers would actually hear her on numerous occasions. This is more obvious when Sophie overhears that someone is following her. Yes, the woman is visually impaired, but does that mean she has super-silence where robbers can’t hear her at all? Then again, this is only a minor detail and doesn’t really subtract from the movie.
Honestly, I also thought more could have been done with the spacious home. People decided to break in and rob the place because it was an affluent, mansion-like setting. Trying to run around in such a spacious place could have offered more places to hide. So, to a small degree, I think some fun “cat-and-mouse” type action was missing. Don’t get me wrong; there is definitely some of that, and it’s still good for what it is, but it seemed like some exciting opportunities were side-stepped. However, it could be I’m just being too critical here.
Other Good Stuff
Anytime someone makes a film about someone with a disability, they might be accused of creating a crass exploitation flick. However, at no point did this film come across that way. See For Me also doesn’t patronize anyone. It doesn’t pretend someone without sight is just a “brave” person by putting Sophie on some pedestal. Remember, Sophie is depicted as a normal, flawed human being, which adds subtle depth and tension to the story. Still, because she’s relatively normal, it’s easier to root for her.
I also appreciate the complex situation emerging from Sophie’s 911 call. When Deputy Brooks (Emily Piggford) shows up, Sophie ends up needing to deceive the officer, as her finding the truth could become deadly. While See For Me will probably just be a standalone film, I’d say it’s worth checking out. Also, even though it’s a thriller and all that, it seems the average family could watch it without it feeling too awkward. While I can love trashy, violent films, I also like to watch stuff like this sometimes, and maybe you will, too. See For Me also stars Matthew Gouveia, Joe Pingue, and Kim Coates.
What are your thoughts on See For Me? See for us in the comments!
