Second Sight (2007)

Brilliant and touching

Absolutely Fantastic

A Disappointing Continuation

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

***SPOILERS*** Wacky supernatural thriller that has Jenny Morris played by Lexa Doig looking like actor Lou Diamond Phillips-no relation- in drag using her supernatural powers too track down this serial killer who had murdered her best friend Andera Pitchard, Juliana Heaney, 15 years ago. Together with Andera's brother Peter, Ty Olson, Jenny who ended up committed into a mental clinic by her father Mack Morris, David McIlwraith, for her own safety soon breaks out as she tries together with Peter to prevent the serial killer's doing in his next victim. Jenny has the ability to see what the killer sees and thus be one step ahead of him but it's the police and her court appointed psychiatrist Dr. Rosenberg, A.C/D.C Paterson, who think that she's off her rocker who don't for a moment believe her.While on the lamb from the police and the men in the white suites Jenny is able to track down the serial killer's sister Mary, Anna Galvin, who's a bit off center, or nuts, in what she experienced back when she was an infant. That's when her dad the Nazi-like Dr. Herman "The German" Kaufman, Alex Dworak, tried to molest her that her big brother***SPOILER*** the present serial killer Dr. Victor Kaufman, Hrothgar Mathews, came to her rescue by stabbing Papa to death. It's now up to Jenny to stop and prevent Victor from offing his latest , his 5th, victim 12 year old Ellie Raskind, Caroline Ford, who was one of his patients before it's too late.Watchable but not at all that convincing movie about the supernatural with Jenny doing her best to convince the audience that she can see what the killer sees he's doing as if she's somehow tuned into him but only when he's about to commit a murder. Everything else he does like eating sleeping and watching films or videos of Hitler's speeches as well as operating on his patients make no impression on her. It's in the end that the police in the person of hard boiled detective Connick, Fulvio Cecere, finally believe in Jenny's supernatural powers and do their job in preventing Victor's latest murder with the help of Jenny talking him into giving himself up before they blast him to pieces.

Awakened from a nightmare involving a young woman being pursued up a tower, Lexa Doig (as Jenny Morris) goes to work and has a frightening vision. We learn Ms. Doig's sister was murdered by an abductor. We also learn these new visions are terrifying sightings of a red-haired girl, presently kidnapped by a pedophile. Doig has "Second Sight" about this stuff, but nobody believes her. Visiting her sister's grave, Doig finds what may be a kindred spirit in Ty Olsson (as Peter Pritchard). Together they must find the latest little victim – before it's too late...The most engaging parts of this drama occur when the lead character is committed to, and escapes from, a sinister hospital. That creepiness is quickly dispensed with after Doig meets the missing girl's parents. The routine search continues to be interrupted by "Second Sight" visions. The origin and extent of this power is never really explained. At Doig's workplace, the girl seems to appear by herself – also, it's hinted that the perpetrator or his sister may possess the same power. The main production strength is some nicely saturated color photography, by Randal Platt.**** Second Sight (12/1/07) Allan Harmon ~ Lexa Doig, Ty Olsson, Hrothgar Mathews, Fulvio Cecere

Second Sight tells the story of a woman whose childhood trauma seems to be repeating itself in the form of mental breakdowns as an adult. Only, the screenplay makes the fatal mistake of literally telling the audience that this has happened instead of showing us. The childhood trauma was that her best friend was kidnapped and murdered, and somehow Jenny was able to see it even though she was not at the scene. Only, nobody will believe her. The way that she was able to see it, and is still able to see what's going on, has the stupidest non-explanation I've ever seen in a quasi- supernatural thriller. It's so stupid I laughed out loud. Then there's the fact that *(big old spoiler ahead but it's a pet peeve so I'm bringing it up)* you don't meet the killer until way into the film's runtime. I hate when the movie throws you a few red herrings to keep you guessing, only to show you a complete stranger's face at the reveal. If you're going to do that it had better be done with some style so that the viewer feels unnerved and thrown off balance. I just felt frustrated.

Second Sight isn't a bad film as such; it just isn't any good. Easily identifiable as a TV movie it's competently created, the acting is fine and the camera moves well. However, a film like this relies on tension. Second Sight has no pretences at being an action film, has minimal (intentional) comedy and instead seeks to entertain through drama and intrigue.Unfortunately the characters fail to draw your attention, or sympathy, the plot is at best tenuous and the editing is frankly poor. While the dialogue is uninspired, the music is a bad identikit "cheap TV movie drama" collection that would have felt derivative in the 1970s.In all, this is a film that is very much worth skipping.