I See You

Directed by Adam Randall, I See You details the spooky happenings that occur within the upper-middle-class home of Helen Hunt’s Jackie Harper and her increasingly estranged husband (Jon Tenney’s Greg) and son (Judah Lewis’ Connor). There’s certainly plenty more going on within Devon Graye’s twist-laden screenplay than just that bare-minimum synopsis, and yet it’s clear, ultimately, that I See You‘s success is due predominantly to the myriad of surprises that crop up within its second half – with the movie, at the outset, not able to pack the kind of engrossing punch filmmaker Adam Randall has surely intended (despite the inclusion of an attention-grabbing opening stretch). The less-than-enthralling slow-burn atmosphere is initially compounded by an emphasis on the somewhat generic domestic exploits of the central characters, although the periodic peppering of oddball (and rather inexplicable) elements admittedly does go a long way towards cultivating an intriguingly mysterious vibe. I See You doesn’t wholehearted transform into a relatively enthralling endeavor until it passes a very specific point, as the narrative doubles back on itself to explain exactly what’s transpired right up until then – with the picture subsequently progressing through a final third brimming with ludicrous yet intensely entertaining (and unexpected) twists and turns. The end result is a stirring effort that certainly seems as though it’d benefit from repeat viewings, which is no small feat, surely, given the decidedly lackluster bent of the movie’s first third.

*** out of ****