Review of InSight (2011) by Rajan K — 08 Sep 2011

InSight is a thriller in similar vein as iconic Alfred Hitchcock films, or the classic Twilight Zone TV episodes. However; InSight very much has it's own unique approach to unraveling it's perplexing mysteries. The film boasts an impressive cast, all of whom certainly do not disappoint.

Kaitlyn, an ER nurse who is tending to a stabbing victim by the name of Allison Parks (Angeline-Rose Troy), gets accidentally electrocuted by the defibrillator that is used in an effort to save the woman's life. Almost immediately Kaitlyn starts to experience the victim's memories.

Kaitlyn turns to family, friends, and the police, but no one takes her claims seriously. She decides that she must take it upon herself to try to solve the crime.

Natalie Zea (Justified, Dirty Sexy Money) plays the resolute and distressed Kaitlyn. Zea realistically conveys the characters emotions and actions. It's easy to enjoy Zea's noteworthy performance in this film. Kaitlyn not only takes on the task of solving who murdered Alison Parks, but she also provides in home care to her cancer stricken mother Patricia (Veronica Cartwright).

Kaitlyn winds up partnering up with Detective Peter Rafferty who is assigned to investigate Allison Park's murder. Detective Peter Rafferty is played by the talented Sean Patrick Flanery of Powder and Boondock Saints I & II fame.

Flanery gives a solid performance as the over-worked, yet compassionate Detective Rafferty. Rafferty gets to show his tough side as well when he "questions" Allison's stalker-esque ex-boyfriend Stephen Geiger who is played by actor-musician Thomas Ian Nicholas of the T.I.N Men.

Detective Rafferty's offbeat and tactless partner Detective Canto (Max Perlich) is against Rafferty's use of Kaitlyn's visions to solve the case and makes what seems to be a spiteful action by reporting him to their superiors. Max Perlich happened to have one bloodshot eye during filming, giving the Canto character an even more peculiar vibe about him.

Christopher Lloyd plays Shep, Allison's creepy neighbor with such proficiency; I definitely can no longer think of him solely as the guy who played the bumbling scientist in the Back To The Future trilogy.

Equally suspicious is the unsavory psychiatrist character of Dr. Graham Barrett played by Adam Baldwin. Barrett turns out to be more than just Allison Park's former psychiatrist as they were having an illicit affair with one another.

As an aside to my readers who are fans of director Joss Whedon's works ... it was sort of like a mini Joss Whedon-verse reunion, with Juliet Landu who played the vampire Drusilla and Max Perlich who played Whistler (for two episodes) on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Adam Baldwin who was in episodes of both Joss' series Angel and Firefly.

InSight's pace doesn't let up for a single moment and even speeds up as the film goes into it's final stretch. As I followed each twist and turn in an attempt to piece together Kaitlyn's visions, I still was left guessing who was Allison Park's murderer. The script is craftily devised to keep people on the edge of their seats guessing until the end, and even then the ending is a surprising twist with it being "open to some interpretation". I won't give away any hints as to what the surprise ending is, you'll definitely have to go see the film for yourself.

It is next to impossible to believe that InSight was filmed in a mere fifteen days. Richard Gabai and his camera, sound and lighting crews adeptly and efficiently utilized their extensive collaborative experiences to bring this thought-provoking thriller to life.

InSight's production values are highly exceptional for an independent film. Without a doubt, InSight stands as a solid model of what independent films should be in regards to a quality end product that viewers will be satisfied watching.