Horror Movie Review: Don’t Blink (2014)

Don’t Blink has an really interesting premise, one that will leave you feeling a tad uncomfortable as you try to comprehend just what it would be like to be in the situation the characters here find themselves in.

A large group of friends arrive at an isolated resort in the snowy mountains to find the place deserted. Not deserted in the ‘no-ones been there for a while’ kind of way but deserted in the ‘everyone literally just disappeared’ kind of way. Luggage is unpacked, food is half-eaten on tables, car engines are still running but there is not a soul around.

The group search for any sign of life but come up empty. Things get even stranger when they realise it is deathly silent all around them, no animals & no insects. With all the cars low on gas, leaving isn’t much of an option as they won’t get far.

Tempers begin to flare as the group disagree over what to do next but eventually they all agree staying is probably the best thing, at least until they can figure out what is going on. The cabins have food, warmth & whatever caused everyone to disappear doesn’t seem to have affected the group.

Or at least that’s what they think…while talking about what to do next one of their number has just disappeared into thin air. No-one saw her go anywhere, no-one noticed anything. As panic ensues more of the group begin to disappear & it quickly becomes obvious to the remaining group that they have to keep their eyes on each other at all times. Simply put…don’t blink.

Don’t Blink is a horror that will divide horror fans with its lack of answers. Those looking for a clean resolution & explanation at the end are going to be sorely disappointed. This is a movie where the villain is unseen, it’s motives unclear & it’s overall purpose ambiguous.

For every person who watches & hates the lack of detail, another will love how chilling the entire concept is. An unseen enemy, take your eyes of another person for even a second & you might find them gone. No trace that they were ever there & as human beings that is a terrifying prospect. We make our mark everywhere we go, in everything that we do but here it doesn’t matter.

Some great acting adds tension to many of the scenes however with such a large cast it’s near impossible to really care about the first couple of characters that disappear. This mutes the early threat of what is going on but it picks up nicely once the herd has been thinned out a little.

It’s a smartly shot film with characters filmed from angles that ensure their disappearances are kind of our fault too. Most that disappear are because our eyes were taken off them also. A particular fridge door moment excels with the expectation & shock that follows.

Don’t Blink isn’t unique in its delivery but it has to be commended for the effort to create a tale that could terrify without needed to shove its junk in your face.