Welcome to The Attic. Whatever you do, don’t blink..

As some of you may already know, I have been digging through the horror section of Hulu Plus and Netflix lately to try and discover some new movies to write about. It has proven to be both rewarding and disappointing. The latest one I had the pleasure to watch was Don’t Blink, currently on Hulu to stream. It has a very interesting story that takes a classic book and adds a twist to it.

Ten people arrive at a very secluded mountain lodge and discover that there is no one there to check them in. Things begin to get more unnerving as they find signs of human life, yet not a soul anywhere. Pans on the kitchen stove are still hot and half-eaten food on the dining room tables. A woman’s purse left alone on a table and a bag of makeup left in the bathroom, abandoned during use. It would appear there were numerous people around, and all of them suddenly vanished in the middle of these mundane, daily tasks. But where did they go? And what made them leave?

They split up into small groups to try and find anyone nearby, and one of the girls is shaken to realize she hasn’t seen a single animal, bird, or even insect. The weather is unusually warm at the lodge, yet they come across a lake that is almost completely frozen over, surrounding a small fishing boat with a pole in the water. It appears that this ice hit suddenly, and quickly.

The drive to the lodge has taken almost all of their gas from the four cars, and even siphoning everything left into one car isn’t enough to get them to another town. So they agree to stay put and remain where they at least have shelter and food. And then it happens. One of their own disappears, and then another. All it takes is turning your back for an instant, or stepping out of everyone’s eyesight. Just like that, people vanish into thin air with absolutely no trace left behind. Things get more and more tense and people begin to unravel, turning on each other. Do the vanished return? Does anyone make it away from the lodge? I won’t spoil the ending, you should watch it for yourself.

This movie reminded me a lot of Agatha Christie’s brilliant story And Then There Were None. Except instead of being murdered, these people just disappear, with no explanation as to why or if they are even still alive. I have to say my hopes weren’t high going into it, but I ended up along for the ride. I found myself scared for them, caring about them, and really rooting for them to get out alive… well, most of them anyway. The cast is mostly made up of nobodies, with the exception of two. Brian Austin Green and Mena Suvari, both were giant starts in the 90s. They clearly stand out as the better actors in the film, along with Zack Ward. Zack played the red-headed punk Scut Farkus in A Christmas Story. I’ll be honest, the two greater known actors in this movie are what really led me to give it a shot, but the story itself is what carries you along until the end. It’s not so much scary, but it is suspenseful, with a bit of classic Sci-Fi in there for good measure. I definitely recommend watching it this weekend. But remember, don’t blink….

Stay scared,
Dark Princess