Synopsis
Cohen’s 2022 psychological short horror film Blink, which he co-wrote with Anna Halberg, has a running time that barely exceeds fifteen minutes. While this fragmented length appears to sanitize the film’s narrative into a short teaser, it managed to accomplish the same emotional impact a feature length film tends to deliver. Blink is yet another accomplice that proves the brilliance f short filmmaking for its capability of dread and tension building within a limited duration.
The film focuses on Mary who after a life-threatening accident, finds herself in a clinical hospital setting where she is strappac to a bed and suffering from a brutally damaging neurological condition. This renders Mary nearly fully immobile. Aside from the ability to blink, Mary cannot move any part of her body, speak, or scream for assistance. This scant control that Mary has over her body, frantically blinking, becomes a pulse throughout the terrifying events that ensue.
From the very beginning Blink submerges the audience into the world of suffocation along Mary’s debilitating state. By employing ingenious use of point of view camera angles, the users undergo the experience of paralysis along with her. Considering the limits of Mary’s sight, every shadow, silhouettes, or flashes of light turns into an increasingly overwhelming source of tension.
While the hospital staff move about, completely ignorant of the deepening anxiety welling up within Mary, she is increasingly aware of an ominous threat concealing itself within the room. Initially, these are subtle: odd sounds in the silence, glimpses of a shadowy figure in her peripheral vision. This quickly grows worse. A tormenting shadow, part of her waking nightmares, alive to her nightmares, begins taunting her each moment. Whether this presence is the product of her fractured mind or part of a greater reality remains deliberately vague, deepening the unnerving tone of the film.
Feeling as though no one would come to her aid, Mary blinks her eyes only to stop struggling and becomes too tired to continue this method of communication. She tries to signal with her eyes, wishing beyond reason that the nurses would take notice of her silence. One of the most suspenseful scenes in the film occurs when a caring nurse named Mary Ann for a short time recognizes some of Mary’s blinking as a message. A brief moment of tension-fueled optimism ensues. But, as is the case with the horror genre, aid is snatched away right when it appeared to be in grasp.
With Mary as the protagonist, the viewer is left sympathizing for her character as they have to share the same reality, almost in real time where every single blink acts as the second hand which counts down to an unknown catastrophe. The film Blink acts like a trap wherein when a person is watching ‘Blink’, every single blink acts like a second hand that counts down to an apocalypse.
As the story nears the peak, the protect, supernatural force becomes bolder and more menacing, further implying that time is not on Mary’s side at all. The astonishing last birkaç seconds of the film provides a resonance that is far too long that is cold even after the screen fades to black at the end of the movie. Instead of giving any appropriate answers to the audience’s questions, it raises more suspenseful enigma laden comments and ‘what if’ that will cross the audience’s mind long after the finishing credits roll.
Cast & crew
Even though it is short, the Blink feature has a fully devoted team that includes both actors and other film makers who try their best to focusing on using the limited window of time to put both actors and audience in wonder about every frame of the movie.
Sophie Thatcher as Mary
Weaving magic for the audience once again is Sophie Thatcher who takes on the role of Mary and plays it to the best of her capabilities. As seen in her previous roles in Yellowjackets, Thatcher uses her eyes and facial movements to convey emotion and in this film, she captures the fear, desperation and glimmers of hope with sheer perfection. Being unable to move or speak, Thatcher has to rely on micro-expressions and eye movements that send shivers down the spine of the onlookers, showcasing Mary’s horrifying reality.
Alicia Coppola as Nurse Mary Ann
Alicia brings warmth and humanity to the nurse role, Nurse Mary Ann. These super short scenes still manage pack layers of empathy into the otherwise cold clinical nature of the hospital. The very few interactions Mary shares with other characters serve as a primary reminder of the constant conflict between helplessness and hope.
It is fair to say that director Spenser Cohen knows what he’s doing when it comes to building suspense, and seamlessly blending it with horror. Each one of his screenplays and movies, including the grand scale Moonfall, lend him skills that shine through the tightly woven narrative of this film. Through use of close up and point of view shots, without uttering a single word, Cohen brings the audience onto Mary’s world and forces them to experience her reality.
Cohen and Anna Halberg’s writing team employs an uncomplicated yet dramatic script that heightens tensions from a seemingly straightforward premise. Their emphasis on psychological horror rather than gory effects or violence works to the film’s advantage, supporting themes of vulnerability and helplessness.
Cinematographer Mac Fisken merits special praise for contributing to the suffocating aura of Blink. The constricting dim clinical lighting and tight framing enhance the sense of containment and a feeling that the hospital room is too small and perpetually hostile.
Screenwriter and composer for the film Lucas Vidal provides a haunting score to accompany the visuals that increase the tension without overshadowing the storyline. The music rises and recedes along with Mary’s emotional arc, deepening the sense of horror that the film provokes.
IMDb Ratings
While short films do not normally receive the same level of mainstream recognition as their full-length counterparts, Blink has achieved an impressive score of roughly 6.8/10 on IMDb, indicative of strong appreciation from an audience that favors well-crafted horror. Reviewers have commended the film for its breathtaking performance by Sophie Thatcher and chastised the film for its minimalist approach to horror and reliance on tension.
Critics and genre fans alike remark on the fact that Blink is unlike many horror shorts that miss the mark because it contains a captivating plot and maintains suspense almost seamlessly within the fifteen-minute timeframe. Some viewers do, however, wish that the story was a feature-length film, as they feel further examination into Mary’s backstory along with the nature of the haunting entity would be intriguing.
Though some have felt that the ambiguity of the ending is far too open, the majority feel that the lack of overt violence combined with psychological focus adds to the enjoyment of the film. Blink resonates on a deeper level because it instills primal fears like the terror of complete immobility or the utter helplessness of being ignored.
So, unlike other horror films, Blink evokes the kind of fears a person does not want to face confronting, which pulls the audience in even more.
Conclusion
Blink (2022) is a perfect example of short horror storytelling done right. The film is able to turn a basic premise into a chilling experience due to the utter focus on psychological dread, tight direction, and central performance by Sophie Thatcher. Every decision made in the film captures vulnerability, the urge to be acknowledged, and the horrifying hopelessness one feels when facing unseen monsters.
Offering a potent dose of fear that persists even after the credits roll, Blink is a perfect find for lovers of atmospheric horror. The title proves that horror does not require elaborate special effects or a lengthy runtime to make an impact. Often, all that’s needed is the terror of not being able to shut one’s eyes quickly enough — or a perfectly timed blink.
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