Emma is an attractive girl in her 20s who has been blind for 20 years. A new type of eye operation partially restores her sight, but she is having problems: sometimes she doesn't "remember" what she's seen until later. One night she is awakened by a commotion upstairs. Peering out of her door, she sees a shadowy figure descending the stairs. Convinced that her neighbour has been murdered she approaches the police, only to find that she is unsure if it was just her new eyes playing tricks on her.
Acting
Madeleine Stowe's physicality sells every confused blink
Direction
Apted weaponizes POV—what Emma sees, when she sees it
Sound
The mix makes YOU hear what she can't see
Director
Michael Apted
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Madeleine Stowe spent weeks with blind consultant actors and wore opaque contacts for certain scenes, actually unable to see.
The 'delayed vision' condition (Riddoch syndrome) is real but rare; the film sparked minor medical debate about sensationalizing neurological disorders.
US
