Although much inferior to both, Nick Willing's macabre psychological thriller feels like a throwback to the days of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist in its emphasis on moody, menacing atmosphere over cheap scares or excessive gore. The hero of the piece, played by ER hunk Goran Visnjic, is a psychologist operating under the radar in London who is blackmailed by an ambitious policewoman (Shirley Henderson) into using his talent at hypnosis to help track down a sadistic serial killer whose latest would-be victim hasn't spoken a word since her escape. The investigation leads the intrepid duo to a supernatural mystery involving a 16th-century heretic with a peculiar theory on the location of the human soul, a collection of strategically situated churches, an oddball occultist, and a cancer-ridden professor specializing in ancient lore. Ultimately, however, the narrative requires an insupportable suspension of disbelief to swallow its increasingly convoluted and absurd scenario--although it's made with a seriousness that's oddly refreshing in this postmodernist era of horror movies that constantly wink at the audience. Extremely old-fashioned and, especially in the final reel, extraordinarily silly, Close Your Eyes nevertheless boasts just enough panache to make it a tolerable time-waster. Optional. (F. Swietek)
Close Your Eyes
First Look, 93 min., in English & French w/English subtitles, R, VHS: $57.98, DVD: $24.98, Sept. 14 Volume 19, Issue 5
Close Your Eyes
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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