Unseen is a quirky horror movie produced by Blumhouse TV and MGM+ and is the first of an agreed eight Blumhouse TV originals set to appear on the Amazon-owned video streaming service. Nicely setting the bar for the remaining seven, Unseen is a fast-paced horror-thriller with an interesting and unique twist.
Unseen – The Storyline
Sam (played by Jolene Purdy, Orange is the New Black and Glee) is living the daily grind and working a dead-end job at an alligator-themed gas station (the best kind of gas station, probably). With her power-hungry boss and rude customers, she plays out her dreary days in her soul-destroying job.
Meanwhile, Emily (Midori Francis, The Sex Lives of College Girls and Dash & Lily) has been kidnapped by a jealous, obsessive ex-boyfriend who has clear intentions to kill her. Luckily, Emily manages to knock her captor unconscious and escapes. However, having to leave her glasses behind has left her blind, alone, in the middle of nowhere, and pursued by her bloodthirsty ex.
After notifying the emergency services to be told they will be at least an hour, Emily hits a random number from her previous calls list, in a desperate hope to get help from a friend. Instead, she reaches Sam, whose number is in her phone due to an accidental incoming call from when Sam was trying to order a pizza.
A New Friendship Faces the Ultimate Test in Unseen
On reaching Sam, Emily quickly informs her of her perilous situation and asks Sam to video call her, so she can be her eyes for her as she fights to evade capture. With a high-stakes game of cat and mouse in play, the pair are forced to overcome any challenges that come their way, or Emily will die.
The Tension of Unseen
With a dangerous man on Emily’s heels and Sam doing all she can do to help, you would think the situation wouldn’t get any worse. However, when Sam is forced to steal a rude customer’s phone after hers runs out of charge, things get out of hand as guns are drawn on the cashier and the police are called. Locking herself away behind the bulletproof glass surrounding her counter, Sam has an escalating problem to deal with on her end, as well as trying desperately to help her new friend.
With tensions rising on both ends of the line, Unseen delivers a double-barreled blast of excitement as the movie continues to fly through the gears in a high-octane fury and rarely takes its finger off the trigger.
The Innovation of Unseen
With so many movies continuously being released, it’s always great to see something new, a little innovation to keep things fresh. The premise of Unseen is both new to us and a clever way to bring something new to the proverbial table. It also works wonders to open up opportunities and create some edge-of-the-seat scenes, previously unseen in the world of horror.
Unseen – Summary
Both lead roles are cast to perfection. With both lead characters coming from different worlds (lawyer and gas station clerk), it’s nice to see their friendship forming as Sam goes all out to lead Emily to safety. The fact that the two wouldn’t usually mix with each other is often highlighted, making the unlikely kinship all the more heartwarming and wholesome.
At just 80 minutes, Unseen seems to pack so much into its short runtime, adding to its breakneck pace and keeping the viewer in a constant state of interest and intrigue. While there’s nothing that will keep you awake at night during the short runtime, Unseen is the perfect antidote for those looking for a quick dose of excitement and anxiety-inducing tension.
