Double Blind (2024)
Ready for Some Irish Horror?
Double Blind is a body horror movie hailing from Ireland. A decent number of horror films have come out of the Emerald Isle in recent years, including Stitches and Unwelcome. It’s no surprise that genre filmmakers are attracted to Ireland. The country’s woodsy scenery and rich folklore tradition make it fertile ground for horror filmmaking.
Unlike the aforementioned films, Double Blind doesn’t feature supernatural elements, nor does it take us to any scenic locations. It’s about a medical experiment that goes grotesquely awry, and the human lab rats who are embroiled in a frantic bid for survival.
A Risky Experiment Goes Wrong
Five desperate young people sign up for a medical trial. The facility is locked down after a freak accident and the lab participants are trapped inside a claustrophobic windowless building.
If they fall asleep, blood pours out of their orifices and they die horribly. Can they stay awake long enough to figure out a way to escape, or will they end up killing each other before they get the chance?
The main character of Double Blind is Claire (Millie Brady), a beleaguered and cash-strapped young woman who signs up for the trail to help make ends meet. She’s cold toward the other participants at first, but gradually becomes more empathetic as the film progresses. Claire shows admirable resilience and determination throughout the film.
The other characters tend to have similar backgrounds to Claire. All of them are struggling in one way or another.
Society’s Rejects?
The film reveals that the test subjects have been chosen due to their perceived expendability. They are impoverished, socially isolated, and suffer from poor mental health. The characters realize this and discuss it, but the film could have delved more deeply into this issue.
What attributes do organizations, and by extension societies, use to judge a person’s value? What does it say about us as a society if some people are perceived as inherently inferior, or even worthless? How might society be better/different if everyone was perceived as having the same intrinsic value?
It’s a fascinating topic. Unfortunately, it’s barely skimmed in the film. To be fair, this is a low budget 90 minute horror movie, and the producers probably didn’t want to spend a ton of time looking at this issue.
A workmanlike effort
The directing, acting, and writing are all decent. There’s nothing that stands out as being particularly great or terrible. The performances and dialogue are satisfactory for the material.
The characters spend a lot of time bickering. This can get tiresome if it’s overdone, for example like in Day of the Dead (1985), where the characters scream at each other endlessly and we wait impatiently for them be devoured by zombies.
But Double Blind doesn’t take the arguing to the point where it becomes excessive. The film’s quick pace prevents it from becoming tiresome.
Rating
Double Blind is a tight, fast-paced flick that will get the job done if you’re looking for a decent body horror movie. Unfortunately, it lacks the thematic depth that would make it truly special.
Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece) – 6.5
