Get Out Now: "I See You" a slick yet gimmicky genre-hopper that still works

I See You (2019)

96 min.

Release Date: December 6, 2019 (Limited & VOD)

A slick, unpredictable concoction of police procedural, supernatural horror, family drama, home invasion, and found footage from director Adam Randall and first-time writer Devon Graye, “I See You” is a respectable end-of-the-year sleeper that depends on one going into it completely blind. The film follows the Harper family, as pill-popping therapist mother Jackie (Helen Hunt) to teenage son Connor (Judah Lewis) has been discovered to have had an affair by her husband, Detective Greg Harper (Jon Tenney). One afternoon, Jackie’s lover Todd (Sam Trammell) shows up at the house to profess his love to her, only to receive a mysterious head wound. Strange (possibly supernatural?) things keep happening in the Harper household, like silverware being taken, the TV turning on by itself, and someone being locked in a closet, all while Greg is investigating the kidnapping of a young boy. 

Intriguing in how it keeps one guessing what kind of movie it actually is, “I See You” is a shrewd case of bait-and-switch storytelling. When the story stops and then rewinds to tell it from a different perspective, it’s like a magic trick where the magician shows us how he pulled it off, and the reveal still isn’t without a few unexpected turns. Director Randall flourishes this twisty mystery with striking, swooping camera movements and a droning score that’s persistent yet effective in sustaining an eerie mood. The performances are all in tune with the material, even if Helen Hunt (2011's "Soul Surfer") receives top billing and actually isn’t given all that much to do. Gimmicky but still cleverly plotted as all the secrets come out, “I See You” works a lot better than it should.

Grade: B -