Sightless
| Sightless | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Cooper Karl |
| Screenplay by | Cooper Karl |
| Based on | Sightless by Cooper Karl |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Andrew Jeric |
| Edited by | Don Money |
| Music by | Phillip Lober |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | MarVista Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Sightless is a 2020 American romance/comedy[1] film written and directed by Cooper Karl, based on his 2017 short film of the same name. The film stars Madelaine Petsch (who also serves as the film's co-producer) and Alexander Koch.[2]
The film had its world premiere at Dances with Films Festival on September 2, 2020.[3] It was released digitally and on demand on September 29, 2020, by MarVista Entertainment.[4]
Plot
Following a brutal attack, violinist Ellen Ashland (Madelaine Petsch) is left blind. Clayton (Alexander Koch) is hired to care for her and she begins to adjust to life without her sight. One night, Ellen hears a distressed woman's voice; she initially believes the woman is in her apartment but then realises the noise is coming through the vent. The following morning, her neighbour shows up and introduces herself as Lana.
As time goes on, Ellen grows suspicious of Lana. When she touches Lana's face, she feels a wound with stitches and is alarmed. Lana reacts by warning Ellen to trust no one and then flees Ellen's apartment upon the arrival of her abusive husband, Russo. Ellen contacts Detective Bryce who sends Officer Neiman to check on Lana; he confirms she is okay and does not have any recent wounds. Ellen expresses her concerns to Clayton who starts to show a romantic interest in Ellen, but when he confesses his feelings, she turns him down.
When Clayton leaves the apartment one afternoon, another person enters and attacks Ellen. She manages to dial 911 before she passes out. She is awaken by a paramedic and Detective Bryce who reassures her that after Clayton left her apartment, nobody else entered. Detective Bryce confirms to Ellen that her friend Sasha, who was having an affair with Ellen's ex-husband, is the prime suspect in Ellen's attack. Feeling alone and unsure of anyone, Ellen decides to commit suicide. She writes letters to her brother, Sasha, and Clayton, and then jumps from her apartment balcony.
Ellen wakes up on the floor of a soundproof room and quickly realises the apartment she was staying in was fake, and all of the noises "outside" were coming from a speaker system. She explores the hallway only to find she cannot escape. Ellen goes to Lana for help, who tells her that this is home. Clayton then arrives to cook Ellen dinner and she realises all of the people she has interacted with since her attack - the doctors, the detective, the paramedic, Russo - were all Clayton, dressed up differently. Ellen knocks Clayton unconscious and finds Lana who reveals she is Clayton's sister and she helped him kidnap Ellen. She then tells Ellen their only hope of escape is by using the hidden vent in Clayton's room.
Clayton finds and once again captures Ellen. He confesses that after his mother's death, his father kept him captive in the basement for three years, during which time Lana played Ellen's music for him, thus resulting in his obsession. Ellen tries to escape via the vent and finds a vial, which she realises is the same substance that was used in her attack that made her lose her sight. She finds her way back to her apartment, chased by Clayton, and sprays the substance in his face. Upon seeing Clayton disabled, Lana guides Ellen to an exit into the outside world.
Six months later, Ellen prepares to go on stage to the sound of an elated crowd, as an assistant asks her if she needs any help.
Cast
- Madelaine Petsch as Ellen Ashland
- Alexander Koch as Clayton
- December Ensminger as Lana Latch
- Lee Jones as Russo Latch
- Deniz Akdeniz as Nurse Omar
- Jarrod Crawford as Detective Bryce
- Matthew Yang King as Doctor Katsuro
- Mikandrew as Paramedic Rafferty
- Samuel Gostnell as Officer Neiman
Production
Principal photography on the film began in late May and ended on May 31, 2019.[2][5]
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Sightless holds an approval rating of 40% based on five reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10.[6] From Ready Set Cut, Jonathon Wilson gave the film two stars out of five, criticizing it for its predictable twist, calling it "a drab", and summarizing it as "the kind of film that has been sat on a shelf for a while for reasons that are entirely understandable".[7] Johnny Loftus, giving his review from Decider, compared the film and its ending to Wait Until Dark (1967) and Shutter Island (2010), and recommended readers to watch it online.[8] Writing for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a journalist gave the film three stars and a half out of five, and said that "Sightless ticks the boxes for [...] an over-the-top thriller that is not afraid to ramp things up to eleven, its manic climax just one of its many enjoyable charms."[9]
References
- ^ Hopewell, John (January 23, 2020). "Particular Crowd, MarVista Set 10-Plus Movies a Year Partnership (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ a b N'Duka, Amanda (May 14, 2019). "'Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch To Star In Indie Thriller 'Sightless'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ "Sightless". Dances with Films. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ MarVista Entertainment [@MarVistaEnt] (September 29, 2020). "The wait is finally over! #Sightless starring @madelainepetsch is now available on Digital HD and On Demand!" (Tweet). Retrieved September 29, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Madelaine Petsch Wraps Filming on Sightless". Beautiful Ballad. June 1, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ "Sightless". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Jonathon (January 21, 2021). "Sightless review – a drab, predictable thriller you'd be better off not seeing". Ready Set Cut. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Loftus, Johnny (January 21, 2021). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Sightless' on Netflix, Where A Recently Blinded Woman Strives To See A Way Out Of Her Predicament". Decider. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra (January 26, 2021). "Alex's Reviews: My Salinger Year, Shadow in the Cloud, Sightless". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved February 17, 2021.