Studio: Epic Pictures
Release Date: 3/12/2024
Rating: Not rated, but would likely have been R
Film Grade: C+
The Story: A group of seven young people gather together at a research facility run by Blackwood Pharmaceuticals. They’re offered €10K in exchange for spending five days in isolation while undergoing testing and monitoring of an experimental drug that’s in the very early stages of testing. They’re housed in dorm-like rooms and can assemble in a common room for meals and socializing.
As the dosage is increased, the patients and research doctor in charge start to notice some odd changes. Expressing their concerns over these side effects, the doctor tells them that the company understands and has agreed to offer them an additional €30K if they complete the study. Of course, they’re free to leave at any time and forfeit all of the money.
My Take: This small horror/thriller from Ireland is better than it has any right to be. The setup is solid, if you’re willing to look past the “evil pharmaceutical company” trope that is found in almost every movie of this type. Putting an ensemble cast in an isolated location is a time-tested formula for dramatic tension. Movies such as The Thing and Alien are the gold standard in this regard, Double Blind takes its cues from them (minus the extraterrestrials).
Parts may feel slightly worn and tired, but there are enough twists and turns to keep the audience’s interest. Overall, the events are logical, and they avoid the common pitfall of having a plot dependent on characters making really dumb decisions.
This is the debut feature for the team of director Ian Hunt-Duffy and writer Darach McGarrigle. They’ve shown enough talent here that I hope we see more from them. The script includes some doses of dark humor that punctuates the film’s dire tone. Characters are distinct and believable. The relatively unknown cast does a good job bringing them to life, with each given a chance to shine.
Visuals: The film takes place almost entirely in a drab, sterile medical facility and the film portrays that well. Colors are mostly muted, with tones of teal, earthy yellow, white, and red. Skin tones are well presented, and there’s a good amount of detail. There are a minimal number of special effects, and they fit the story well. Overall, it’s a good-looking picture.
Audio: The music by Die Hexen is one of the stars of this movie. It’s a fantastic composition of electronic synth music reminiscent of the late 70s and early 80s, that effectively inflicts feelings of tension and dread on the audience. It’s one of the reasons why I rank this movie above average. I will be shocked and disappointed if we don’t hear much more from this composer in the future.
Accompanying the score, there are some nice bass hits that managed to move our chairs. The mix is just 5.1, but it does a good job of capturing the sounds of the movie, like the subtle echo of the common gathering room. Dialog is clear, but some of the accents make a few lines slightly hard to follow. That said, it’s not severe enough to harm the movie.
Special Features: - Directors’ Commentary
- Deleted Scenes with Commentary
- Behind the Scenes Featurette
- Gridlock Short Film
- Official Trailer
- Epic Trailers
Final Verdict: As a low-budget entry in the thriller/horror genre, Double Blind is better than one would expect, and I can think of much worse ways to spend 90 minutes. It’s never dull and moves along at a good, brisk pace for anyone looking for a tale of suspense and dread.
I’m not sure if I’ll end up buying this at some point, but if that happens, it will be largely due to the soundtrack.
Fun Fact: Low budget movies need to find inventive ways to keep filming. So, when one of the cast members had to leave the set for a week due to Covid, they grabbed one of the grips that had a similar look and used him for background shots.
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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