A large part of the negative criticism targeted at 'The Unseen' seems to stem from a problem of perceived expectations. While the poster might make one expect a 'Sixth Sense'-esque ghost story, this is not the case, the director is more interested in exploring the central drama/theme of the grief that stems from the loss of a loved one. However, he incorporates elements of horror, the supernatural and thriller. To properly enjoy the film, one must not expect some lavish thrill ride of endless shocks and gore but rather let the film chill you with its psychological moments and creepy chills.The film is a character-piece that brings to mind Terence Young's 'Wait Until Dark' (1967) starring Audrey Hepburn which explored a similar story of claustrophobia, blindness and isolation. Part of the film's horror does not stem from the supernatural but rather from the psychological implications of its central plot: a woman who, at certain moments, becomes temporarily blind after the death of her child. The death itself is tragic and the blindness is a terrifying conceit. This is due to the fact that we don't know when this blindness can manifest itself which leads to some pretty tense moments (e.g one moment where the main character 'Gemma' is driving on the motorway and the blindness strikes her). The idea of losing control over one's body and perception taps into a psychological horror that is more unsettling and disturbing than any movie monster.Furthermore, the film maintains a tone of unease and discomfort that is consistent and reflects Gemma's own fragile mind-set. The Unseen shocks in the way that one might feel when the lights are turned off and it's pitch black. The film delivers on emotional drama, tapping into feelings of depression and the hollow sadness that the characters feel in the aftermath of their grief. It is compelling stuff but enjoy it for what it is not what it appears to be.

We were struggling to think of the last "serious" film we'd seen, when The Unseen came up. It seems like an emotional drama at first, but builds momentum and earns its psych-thriller badge for sure. For those who saw Malice with Alec Baldwin / Kidman / Pullman, this is modern and quite different, but made me feel similar ups / downs and overall enjoyment. Also nice to have a female protagonist.

While I spent a fair amount of this film under my shirt, I really enjoyed it, and even wanted more after it ended. Rarely do we get such an honest and engrossing exploration of grief, especially in a horror/thriller film. As I said before I'm not too well versed in scary movies but the ones I've liked took advantage of the fantasy elements to do more than just frighten audiences but to analyze and learn from the extreme emotions and events that led to the fantastical story-line. The Unseen did just that. With some very believable performances and visually stunning cinematography I'd give this films two thumbs up.

I heard about this film when it played at Berlinale, where it was renamed to Scared Blind. Much of the movie is shown from the perspective of Gemma (Jasmine Hyde), which is incredibly suspenseful, especially when she experiences blinding panic attacks. Overall, it was much scarier than I expected! If you like psychological thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, I would recommend watching this movie.