Eye Without a Face Review
Eye Without a Face is a 2021 feature film directed by Ramin Niami.
A modern take on Rear Window, Eye Without a Face has some strong moments that get lost in trying to over-analyze a main character rather than just focusing on the more interesting elements around them.
If there is a true lesson that the film from which this is a source of inspiration could have taken a bit more away from it would be the true visual elements of storytelling. In the opening moments of Rear Window we see a life explored through photos, newspapers, etc. We know so much about a character without a word being uttered, and it allows for the thriller film to unfold uninterrupted.
The character study presented here is the weakest element of the film and one that is looked at far too heavily. What could have added more to the film would have been focusing more on the lives of the women Henry watches (which gets touched on but perhaps a more interconnected thread with them).
The second act of the film is where things really slow down a bit too much as well, almost teetering the story between two worlds that it isn’t sure where to go down. On one hand the character study, the other a voyeuristic thriller. Ultimately, it doesn’t commit to either side of the fence, which leads to a weak ending.
However, despite all this there are many great moments and the acting across the board is pretty solid. The highlight being Luke Cook as Eric who gets to just have fun being the struggling actor roommate. Visually too the film is solid, with the cinematography by Tara Violet Niami shining throughout the runtime.
There are many instances where the film could have gone more outside of the room and the rooms of the various women. Understandably, due to budget or time constraints it is easy to see why this was avoided but it felt like it was needed just a bit more, particularly in that slower second act.
Eye Without a Face has a unique premise that in spurts is explored effectively well. However, when it concerns itself too much with over explaining the main character and using vague story tropes to show why he is the way he is, it suffers for it. What we needed was more Rear Window and less Psycho.
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Cheers!
Daniel Hess
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