Julia's Eyes

Guillermo del Toro has an exceptional eye for new talent and his latest film as producer, Julia’s Eyes, directed by Spanish newcomer Guillem Morales, promises to terrify audiences. Morales’s second feature skillfully unites themes of blindness and invisibility in this artful combination of drama and thriller. Impeccably constructed, Julia’s Eyes will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Julia (The Orphanage‘s Belén Rueda) has a degenerative disease that will eventually leave her blind. Her twin sister struggles with the same illness until she’s found hanging in the family basement. Everyone assumes that she committed suicide, but Julia remains unconvinced. A series of clues send her on an investigation to determine the true cause of her sister’s death. She is sure that she is being watched but she cannot see her observer. Is it a mere distortion of her failing eyesight or is she only imagining things? Could the man that observes her be invisible? These questions remain shrouded in mystery throughout Julia’s tense journey.

After Julia undergoes the surgical procedure that was unable to save her sister’s eyesight, she is forced to wear a bandage over her eyes for two weeks so the cure can take effect. Again she is sure that the man who killed her sister is entering her house at night. The tension ratchets up as Julia struggles with her fear of sightlessness and becomes increasingly isolated from everyone around her; they’re convinced that her imagination is simply getting the better of her.
Morales’s use of the horror genre to frame a woman coming to terms with the onset of blindness is achieved through precise camerawork that augments the suspenseful atmosphere. Morales places us right in Julia’s shoes and we experience the movie from her perspective. Themes of sight and seeing, visibility and invisibility give the film greater scope and allow it to transcend stereotypes.

There is nothing more frightening than an invisible predator, and nothing more terrible than not being able to perceive those around you. Julia’s Eyes challenges us to see with more than just our eyes. —TIFF