Look into the Fire, a feature narrative film directed by Tim Morrill, is a psychological thriller following a group of college students as they embark on an incredibly ambitious, scientific group project pertaining to the human brain. The topic of their experiment is lackadaisically agreed upon within the first ten minutes of the film, and what we see after that is what happens when those incapable of properly executing such an ambitious undertaking fall short; which ironically mirrors the execution of the film itself.
After the opening credit sequence, which washes over us for more than four minutes, the film drops in on the tail-end of a professor’s lecture about a topic pertaining to the brain. Professor Hirsch, played by Gregg Henry, is the most enjoyable actor to watch in the film, which makes sense upon Googling him. Henry is a tried-and-true character actor who can boast countless top-tier credits including Brian DePalma’s certified cult film, Body Double (1984). So when Professor Hirsch announces that the class needs to team up and brainstorm topics for a group project, the students listen. It’s what happens thereafter where the film loses credibility, specifically because each new scenario or plot point introduced is simply inconceivable within the world Tim Morrill has created.
The group’s decided-upon experiment is a lofty one; to try and read the human mind, or better yet, watch it like one would daytime television. The concept is spearheaded by Adam, a character possessing no characteristics that would allow the audience to believe he’s capable of such an ambitious, unprecedented scientific experiment. The absence of character development coupled with stilted performances and imperceptible set design, creates a world that appears under-cooked rather than one that would be required for groundbreaking analysis.
If one were to suspend disbelief, however, it is true that Adam’s brain is indeed altered after he allows himself to be the test subject for his own experiment. However, after suffering short-term memory loss, the scope of implausibility only further escalates in the sequence of events that follow. In summation, any conflict presented could be easily resolved if the students simply explained to someone—literally anyone—what had happened to Adam as a result of their ill-advised experiment. That doesn’t happen though, nor does it happen when Adam is kidnapped by his sister and the film takes a rather disjointed, albeit entertaining, turn into the realm of Stephen King’s Misery.
Despite distracting plot holes and uninspired cinematography, the editing and pacing of the film is impressive and undoubtedly one of the film’s strong suits. Scenes don’t linger too long, and there’s ample forward momentum to prevent the audience from being entirely disengaged. With a handful of comedic moments, there are chuckles to be had, and some flashback scenes do offer a visual style that differs from the scenes grounded in reality. Perhaps most triumphantly, the ending offers a satisfying resolution, rather than falling victim to a slow and gradual falling off.
Tim Morrill’s Look into the Fire, although a valiant effort, is thwarted by its hard-to-believe premise that relies too heavily on underdeveloped, ambiguous brain science as its main thematic device. This ambitious undertaking coupled with lackluster filmmaking prevents the film from fully launching but does offer a fascinating glimpse into truly independent filmmaking. If viewed through a critical lens, it’s a worthwhile watch as a means to dissect its execution and analyze why it doesn’t quite hit the mark.
What kind of film series would this fit in?
Look Into the Fire would fit into a Narrative film series.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
Look Into the Fire would be suitable for academic subjects such as Cinema Studies and Film Production.
What kind of film collection would this title be suitable for?
Look Into the Fire would suit independent, thriller, and amateur film collections.