All Rise...

Judge Gordon Sullivan could use a vacation.

The Charge

You might be next.

The Case

And Then There Were None is the Ur-text of much of what we consider the mystery genre. Something about Agatha Christie's combination of multiple victims/suspects, a remote location, and the psychological aspects of the killings make it a compelling well from which to draw. It's been adapted, parodied, and generally ripped off in so many media that the story is familiar to most viewers. Don't Blink puts a new twist on the formula by having ten friends in a remote location menaced by an unseen force that causes them to disappear. It's an okay little supernatural mystery, but those looking for a quick ride or a tight plot might be disappointed.

Ten friends arrive at a remote ranch for vacation. Almost immediately they get an eerie feeling, and that's confirmed when one of them disappears. It seems an unseen force is menacing the vacationers, causing them to disappear. Will the remaining friends be able to solve the mystery before they all disappear?

The first thing to note about Don't Blink is that it's got a solid cast of veteran actors. Brian Austin Green and Mena Suvari play a couple, and they're the most believable American couple on film, just trying to enjoy their vacation. Zack Ward gets to do great work as well. Fans of Warehouse 13 will appreciate seeing Joanne Kelly as one of the house's occupants as well. The acting isn't stellar, but it's much better than the average indie horror flick of this type.

The film also benefits from strong direction. First timer Travis Oates (who also penned the screenplay, his first) is more well known as a voice actor, having worked on properties as diverse as the recent Winnie-the-Pooh videos like Pooh's Heffalump Halloween and providing voices for the Lego Movie game adaptation. But don't let the kids' stuff material fool you—Don't Blink isn't afraid to be dark. In a smart move, however, it doesn't start out that way. Don't Blink plays like a strange romantic comedy in the first 10 or so minutes. The couples arrive, they joke, and only then do things start to get weird. And even once they're definitely weird, the film doesn't go the traditional horror route. There are no specters haunting the house, and nothing like gore when people disappear.

All this puts Don't Blink into mystery territory rather than pure horror. That kind of genre switch…where the box promises spookiness but the plot really doesn't…isn't that big a deal. However, mystery films tend to be evaluated with different criteria than horror films. We can leave a horror film pretty satisfied if there are a few jumps and scary atmosphere. For a mystery film to work, though, we need a satisfying resolution. Don't Blink has a much more open, ambiguous ending than the average mystery film. That will definitely disappoint some viewers. It's a fine ending to a horror film, leaving viewers uneasy, but the switch from horror to mystery and back to horror for the ending doesn't quite work. It feels much more like the ambiguous ending is a cop-out to the mystery portion rather than an intentional choice.

The film's 2.40:1 anamorphic transfer is clean and bright. Detail is strong for a standard-def presentation and the transfer excels at selling the ?cold, isolated cabin? vibe. Colors are well-saturated, and black levels stay consistent and deep. No serious digital artifacts crop up to mar the presentation. If anything, the transfer and overall look of the film is too slick and polished, whereas a slightly darker/grittier presentation might have helped the film sell its dark vibe. The film's Dolby 5.1 audio track does a fine job with the dialogue and effects. There's a bit of spookiness going on in the surrounds as people suddenly disappear. Balance is fine throughout as well, with dialogue sounding clean and clear.

Sadly, this set doesn't include any extras aside from a code to acquire a digital copy of the film through the VUDU service and a trailer. Though I'm not sure I'd like the ambiguous ending discussed, a commentary track from Oates would not go amiss, nor would interviews with the excellent cast.

Don't Blink is far from a bad film, and one that definitely showcases its cast to full effect. Writer/director Travis Oates has the potential to become a solid genre director. However, this experience will be polarizing for viewers, with the ambiguous ending the main sticking point. Fans of the actors should probably check it out, as should those who are feeling like a horror/mystery hybrid.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

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