We open in a dormant ambulance. Which is parked by a graveyard. A subtle but nice touch to give you an idea of the environment we now reside in. A man (Ben played by Adam Seybold) inside the ambulance with gauze on his eyes struggles to gain his bearings. He struggles to get a sense of the situation he is in. And it's not good. The ambulance is broken down, he is handcuffed to the stretcher he woke up on, and life outside is...lifeless. And, oh yeah, he still can't see. Disoriented, our first of two main characters gets out of the ambulance and stumbles down the abandoned dirt road with pursuers that are less than swift. Cut to black. Titles: "Deadsight."
We fade from black to our other protagonist. A beautiful pregnant woman (Mara played by Liv Collins) wakes up and begins her morning routine. She tries to make a few calls that go unsuccessful. Recognizing it's strangeness, but paying it no mind, she continues her routine. As she exits her house, the audience now knows that the woman is police.
At this time, you know the score here. What choices will our characters make to survive? Will the choices made be good enough to save their lives? You should give Deadsight a try for the answers.
Deadsight is directed by a very talented Jesse Thomas Cook (The Hoard). And his direction and tone shows within his effortless editing that makes the pace of the film quite alluring (especially for someone like me who watches EVERYTHING). Speaking of pace and tone, how about our co-star, co-writer, and co-producer Liv Collins? She nailed her character. Whether it was her strength or vulnerability, Collins proved game, and delivered. I'll always be a huge fan of films that have individuals that are like a Swiss Army Knife. The more you can do the better. And if you can do it well, it's high time someone take notice. Adam Seybold, whom played Ben was solid too. Seybold took a role most film fans are familiar with and still turned it into an interesting character study. I wanted to know why he was handcuffed. I wanted to know if he was hiding something. And you know you've done your job if by the end I didn't care what you may need to atone for, I just...cared.
Lastly, two of my favorite aspects of the film, the cinematography and score. Cinematographer, Jeff Maher did a fantastic job. I felt like I was watching a seasoned Roger Deakins, specifically his work on Sicario. My favorite shot of the film comes at about the 54 minute mark. Phenomenal. Adrian Ellis, the composer, certainly captured the sounds of tension, heartache, and triumph. All the while making it as smooth as silk. Sometimes if you don't pay attention, the subtlety of the big things he's doing can be missed.
Deadsight is a film you've seen before. Best part is, you don't care. It has expert pacing. It thrills when it needs to. It's approach is unapologetic. Pop the popcorn and enjoy.
Deadsight recently held its World Premiere at Blood in the Snow Film Fest 2018.
