I think this film was probably harmed by the extremely high ratings that some people gave it, which makes some people hate it more than they normally would. What I liked: The vibe: I though it was genuinely creepy at multiple points. I had no idea where the plot was going, and had fun wondering. The actors were good at making me not like them. The creepy dude was creepy AF. They were definitely a good portrait of whack NY hipsters circa 2008. Also, there were some genuinely cool nature shots. I disliked: After getting me all curious, the end was a huge let-down. It was a lot of build-up for such an ambiguous end. All of a sudden I felt like I was in a hipster-horror version of the end of 2001. Which I have to admit being entertained by, but still, I think it was a cop-out. The low quality filming didn't ruin the movie, but didn't do it any favors either. Also, what was with the random flashes to scenes of a busy intersection? Was this the key to truly loving this movie and I somehow failed to grasp the significance? I doubt it.

I really wanted to like this film, mainly because I think Larry Fessenden has an eye for talent, but unfortunately this one just really does not cut it. The story itself is all right, except for the execution. We have three young guys who obviously work for some sort of ad agency, or perhaps an independent group themselves. Their latest project has produced nothing but artistic block, so they try and get back to nature, back to clarity, as one of the boys puts it. They go on what's essentially a camping trip out in the woods, where they're soon joined by a group of friends (of friends), and after some possible love-life developments, some paranoid and dark feelings start to come out. One of the guys seems to be a tortured artist, lingering on a portrait of his father he is doing, which is troubling him- because he cannot "see the face". I felt as if this was a real let down. I was starting to think there was something real deep about the father's painting he was doing, and it just devolved into a lot of attempted psychedelics, resulting in a bit of a shoddy mess near the end.This could have possibly become a taut psychological thriller-turned-horror in the final moments, but instead it played out like an awful attempt at a psychological horror film better than it could ever be. I'll give this a 4 out of 10 stars, solely because I did think the premise was original and somewhat interesting, had it played out better, and I also did enjoy a few of the visuals near the end; though they amounted to nothing important by the time the credits stopped rolling. I wouldn't say this is one to search out- I did, and it wasn't worth the time. Honestly, I really enjoyed the cover art, and it led me to seek out a viewing. It isn't the first time I've been lead down the garden path by an interesting cover, or piece of promotional artwork, only to find a sub-par movie. I just keep hoping I'll hit an undiscovered gem. This one is just an odd-shaped rock in the dirt.

The reason I rated this a 10 instead of a great 8 or 9, is because there is nothing I can compare it to. I have seen hundreds of movies called "horrors" over my 25 years and not once have I felt afraid.Most of these "horrors" are slasher flicks, gore or torture porn, or something with a lot of shadows in which someone falls onto a pianos keys every time something appears to startle me, the viewer. Being surprised is not the same as being scared.This movie does just what I need to feel afraid. Makes me feel like I'm seeing and hearing what I could imagine might be going on inside of an insane man's brain before he kills, or before he goes over the edge.I see many reviews of this are very low, but I must ask you to show me links or name some DVDs of movies I could watch that do this better. I agree the plot doesn't make sense and there seems to be no real reason for some of the characters losing their minds.However, once again I have nothing to compare this to. If there were even one thing that scared me or even tried to on a psychological level, I'd give this a 8, 7, or 6. I have never seen another movie that makes me feel I am seeing insanity and truly being afraid of the human mind.This leads me to being more lenient and feeling and hoping that this is a start towards something greater, hopefully many more of these types of movies. Although probably not, unfortunately.The only thing I have experienced that can compare is a video game. The first Silent Hill. Most of this was probably because of the low budget of that game as none of the sequels have been scary again.As far as the long start and scenes that some are saying were of nothing, I think this was planned as well, because for me that was a thinking period of what the heck is going on?You could call this cheap, yes, but what other ways can you make the viewer think for a few minutes instead of just showing exactly what is happening, leaving no mystery and no room for WHAT JUST HAPPENED?To those of you stating you have seen better horror movies than this, please I would like you to refer me to some DVD's because I love to feel this level of fear and am definitely tired of "horror" being girls screaming as they get cut apart by some disfigured or masked man. That is not scary, especially not the 50th time ha ha.Anyways, I don't write many things so I'm sorry if this review has strange structure or anything. I tried to at least paragraph out everything.

Being a fan of psychological horror, I'm a little surprised at the current volume of reviews describing this film as incoherent and nonsensical. I Can See You is a film about obfuscation, and the cognitive filters which color our perspectives and influence our abilities to contextualize. (Think about the cleaning product designed to wipe away grime, and the camping trip which distances them from civilization and constant media stimuli) The film is like a swelling panic attack, where the players, and viewers slowly grow uncomfortable with the underlying motivations to certain behaviors.The writing, cinematography, and sound design are impressive. As is the pacing. I actually felt that despite being surreal, it wasn't too difficult to grasp some of the underlying themes threading the film. Definitely a "filmmaker's movie," but as I am not a filmmaker myself, I still found it quite enjoyable.