Blink - January 28, 1994

Blink

Tagline(s): What you can't see, can kill you.

Released: January 28, 1994

Studio: New Line Cinema

Genre: Thriller

Directed by Michael Apted

Stars: Madeleine Stowe, Aidan Quinn, James Remar, Peter Friedman, Paul Dillon, Laurie Metcalf, Bruce A. Young, Matt Roth, Tim Monsion

Rotten Tomatoes: 65%

Metacritic: Not rated

Budget: $11 million

Box Office: $16.6 million

Synopsis

Madeleine Stowe plays Emma Brody, a blind musician in Chicago. When her sight is partially restored she encounters these flashes where her brain has been able to process the images she saw some hours previously. Awoken in the night by noises she encounters a serial killer on the stairs and only the next day is she able to piece together what happened. But can she trust her eyes and more importantly will the police do so in time to stop the serial killer?

Recollections

None

Review

If you know Michael Apted, the director, it is likely as the creator of the Up series of documentaries which followed the same children every 7 years from their birth onward in order to investigate how class and upbringing effected the trajectory of their lives. However, outside of this venture, he is a multi-Academy Award nominated producer and director and has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry.

The plot here is a little far-fetched and I started watching this with a pretty critical eye but it is a far better movie than it deserves to be. I was engaged from beginning to end and would happily sit down and watch it again. The mise en scène of 90s Chicago completely captures the era and aesthetic, there's even an overabundance of saxaphone music.

Madeleine Stowe and Aidan Quinn are engaging screen presences and you could imagine how poorly this film could have been done with bigger names attached. I think a lot of the reason this film works is that it's well directed and well put together.