The Eyes (2017)

Directed by: Robbie Bryan | 95 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Nicholas Turturro, Vincent Pastore, Megan West, Ana Isabelle, Greg Davis Jr., Steven Hauck, Danny Flaherty, Carly Steel, Xiren Wang, Daniel Margotta, Jennifer Estlin, Mark Philip Patrick, Bahiyah Hibah, Terrence Clowe, Alan Fox

‘Saw’ proved that you could make good horror movies without a big budget and liters of fake blood. After all, by focusing on the suspense and the power of suggestion, you come a long way. Director James Wan and his (writing) buddy Leigh Whannell scored a big hit with their horror film about moralistic villain Jigsaw. Director Robbie Bryan saw this film that fueled the hype around torture porn after the second part and decided to get a piece of this craze. Enter ‘The Eyes’.

In ‘The Eyes’, six strangers awaken in an abandoned warehouse. They are gagged. These people have to participate in a cruel game where only one person is allowed to leave the premises alive. But who decides who has the right to live? In the space of two hours, the six must decide which of them deserves a second chance. All the participants of this fatalistic experiment have something up their sleeve. In any case, a joint choice must be made, otherwise all participants will be killed.

In ‘Saw’ two people awoke in a deserted room and in ‘The Eyes’ there are six. The past is also an indicator of the right to life in both films. Bryan is therefore not so much aiming for originality, but hopes that a plot twist at the end of the film will surprise his audience. Admittedly, it certainly works! The finale is creatively conceived and puts the film in a different light. Very well done. Unfortunately, it makes this film a tricky exercise. While the ending is very rewarding, the rest of the movie really isn’t. The cranky acting and slow pace are hard to get through. And well, do you watch a movie before the end? Do you have to bite through the sour apple before you are treated to something sweet? With a better script, stronger actors and smoother directing, this would have been a more interesting film. Now it’s a mediocre B-movie with a slightly genius ending.