The 2019 horror-thriller “I See You” is enjoying a second life on Netflix, and it is well deserved. Writer Devon Graye and director Adam Randall craft a creepy and mysterious piece of postmodern haunted-house horror that tremendously benefits by going deep into the “Here’s what really happened” explanation, using the second half of the film for that purpose.
One plot hole (or rather, a series of unexplained events that make for a plot hole) keeps “I See You” from masterpiece status. I’ll address that later in the post.
Randall keeps the haunted house genre feeling fresh as we meet the Harpers – cop dad Greg (John Tenney), mom-who-was-caught-cheating Jackie (Helen Hunt) and ticked-off teen son Connor (Judah Lewis, “The Christmas Chronicles”). Greg, along with partner Spitzky (Gregory Allan Williams), is investigating a spate of kidnapping/killings of young boys that are copies from 15 years earlier.
“I See You” (2019)
Director: Adam Randall
Writer: Devon Graye
Stars: Helen Hunt, John Tenney, Owen Teague
In an early indication of “I See You’s” attention to specifics, we learn that they live in this big suburban house because of Jackie’s family money. The house haunts inferior-feeling Greg in addition to being literally haunted. Nice use of metaphor. The film’s first half is intriguing, but standard.
A haunted family (Spoilers)
Then it changes, and a SPOILER WARNING is required. It turns out that the house is not haunted, but rather home-invaded. The house is big enough that “Phroggers” Alec (Owen Teague, “It”) and Mindy (Libe Barer, “Sneaky Pete”) have camped out in the attic and are causing these “haunting” events.
I know it’s generally taken for granted that ghosts are scarier than living humans, but I disagree – especially in movies. “I See You” becomes creepier when we realize other humans are hiding in the house, even if it’s merely as a prank – which is how Mindy sees it. It’s fascinating to see previous bizarre scenes with full information; the entire second half of the film benefits from this intrigue. Meanwhile, we find ourselves liking the criminals, similar to “Don’t Breathe.”
Unlike Mindy, Alec has actually chosen this house for revenge. It turns out that Greg was the kidnapper/killer from 15 years earlier and is starting up again. Two kids had escaped his previous reign, one being Alec. The way we learn this is chilling, as Graye piles on twists that are explicable rather than nutty.
More explanation would’ve been nice (Spoilers)
However, “I See You” needed one more pass through the screenplay before shooting started. Despite Graye’s attention to specifics in some regards, too much is unexplained. How did Alec and the other kid escape 15 years ago? Why did they say nothing when someone was wrongly framed and imprisoned and Greg went free and continued in his cop job? Why did Greg let the two boys live? In the case of the other kid, at least, he knew his address.
Spitzky learns of his partner’s evil after Greg’s death, but I think it would’ve been more chilling if Greg had gotten away with it a second time, but then Spitzky puts the pieces together while buttoning up the evidence and paperwork. It would make Spitzky into an intelligent hero (rather than a dumb patsy), and give an explanation for Greg’s actions, and allow for a compelling confrontation scene between the longtime partners.
As it stands, “I See You” is engrossing, calling to mind “The Visit” and “The Boy,” but in those cases the change-of-perspective twist is a late “gotcha” moment. Because it happens at the midway point here, we’re taken further into the “what really happened” than most horror films go.
I’m also thinking of a couple films that came later, such as “The Night House,” which also uses marital strife and a big scary house, and “There’s Someone Inside Your House.” That film blows a chance at a scary monster-under-the-bed moment. “I See You” does not blow that chance.