“See For Me” misses a good motto and skids in the generic

Escape room movies are a very expensive part of the horror/thriller genre. Seeing someone trapped in a place with a lurking danger is a hit with the public, especially when that place is their own home, as in “See For Me”.

In this thriller, Sophie (Skyler Davenport) is a young skier who has lost her eyesight and needs to use an application called See For Me, in which another person can see around her (in real time) through her cell phone camera.

When the house she is working on temporarily is invaded by a group of criminals in search of a hidden safe, Sophie resorts to a call on See For Me. Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), an app professional and Counter-Strike gamer, who will guide her, serving as her “eyes”.

As you can see from the synopsis, the premise is quite interesting. Too bad that, like countless feature films of the genre, it ends up falling into the trap of the commonplace.

The situations are predictable, even though they are coated with some inventiveness, they follow the predictable path, supported by all the schematism of the feature films that preceded it.

The main character does not generate empathy with the spectator, and it is not because of the dubious character that she reveals throughout the plot, but because of her construction that does not arouse support for the character. Her guide turns out to be more interesting. It’s interesting how she uses her gaming expertise to save Sophie from risk.

Canadian director Randall Okita, in his second feature film for cinema, even shows intimacy with the genre. He manages to set the right mood in most scenes, though his mise-en-scène slips into the cake recipe. It is clear in the script by newcomers Adam Yorke and Tommy Goshue that there was an influence from 80s thrillers, which gives it a certain charm. Even the poster evokes that time. However, it lacked freshness and creativity to build a truly outstanding product.

“See For Me” misses the chance to be a memorable escape room and also an interesting psychological thriller, with disconcerting twists. Probably the inexperience of the director and writers, and perhaps a tight schedule, pushed the film into the generic field. He deserved better luck.