I See You | SXSW 2019 Film Review

A wonderful aspect to attending any film festival, is walking into a creation that you have no prior knowledge of. Unlike so many theatrical experiences these days, the films at gatherings such as South by Southwest (SXSW) are unadulterated. Fresh from the exposed trappings of excessive marketing techniques and overwrought attempts to get butts in seats. Walking in, often times, you have absolutely zero idea of where these tales are headed. And I See You is a prime example of the beauty of these events.

So much, that I will do my best here to leave you with that same experience. Because I want you to first view this one with very little idea of what you’re about to watch, and therefore I also encourage you to ignore marketing materials and just trust me on this one. You trust me…don’t you?

Here’s all you need to know: Helen Hunt stars as Jackie Harper, a wife disgraced due to her own infidelity. Jackie’s husband, Detective Greg Harper (Jon Tenney), is still reeling from the affair while simultaneously investigating the disappearance of two young boys in their small, seemingly perfect town. Their young son, Connor (Judah Lewis), lands solidly on his father’s side in this war of the Harpers, but things are about to get far more complicated. Strange occurrences are taking place at the Harper home – items out of place, odd noises – and things are about to get a bit dicey for everyone involved.

That’s all you really need to enjoy this one with a clean palette. Otherwise, know that Helen Hunt delivers her trademark believability, the actress never fails to come across as “one of us” with effortless sincerity. As panic and terror mounts, so does our association to Jackie’s plight. This has always been a sort of specialty for the Oscar winner. Tenney wears a lot of weight as well, sashaying between a cop-on-a-mission and a bitter man scorned with relative ease. As the aforementioned events unfold and twists continue to pile up, both actors bear the brunt of the conflict, keeping us invested even when situations teeter off a bit into the land of convenience during the film’s concluding moments.

Devon Graye’s clever screenplay meshes nicely with Adam Randall’s astute direction, and I See You successfully toys with audience expectations in films like these. Randall manages to ease us up to the edge of our seats for the majority of the film, only faltering a smidge as Graye’s mostly seamless script struggles to maintain its sense of self in the final frames.

Thankfully, it sticks the landing, as I See You is a gem of a thriller that – if marketing can manage to keep a lid on certain aspects – will keep audiences talking for days after leaving the theater. And trust me, go in blind, because I See You is a film you NEED to see for yourself.