A somewhat flawed horror thriller, which I enjoyed none-the-less.

Writing: This script is a mix of tired horror staples and unique ideas. Some of it feels just like what it is, a beat-to-death Japanese horror genre remake (yes, ANOTHER one), and some of it doesn’t. Even some of the tried-and-true elements somehow feel a bit fresh, like having the protagonist as a concert musician. People who suffer disabilities like blindness in films rarely hold down 9-to-5 corporate jobs. They almost always have to be some creative arts kind of character. And the good ol’ donated organ bit is another tried-and-true genre element.

Production: Tech aspects are done well, from cinematography to sound. I think the slick editing of Patrick Lussier, who knows his way around these kinds of films, is one of the production highlights.

Cast: Here is one of the strongest components of the film. Jessica Alba might not be the greatest actress of her generation, but I’ve always enjoyed her performances none-the-less. She does a nice job with this character, and pulls it off quite well. She gets to play off two fantastic actors, which I’m sure help. First is Alessandro Nivola (who you might remember from having so fantastically played the character of Pollux Troy in Face/Off), who does a nice job as Alba’s rehabilitation therapist. He does a nice job with the oddly unsympathetic character. Then there’s Parker Posey, one of my favorite actresses, who plays Alba’s sister. Sadly, she only has a few scenes, and gets to do little more than play the supportive (and somewhat guilt-driven) sister. Still, any chance to have Parker Posey on screen is better than nothing.

Music: One of my favorite film composers, Marco Beltrami, comes through with an effective score. He does a particularly nice job during scenes where he needs to integrate the film score with the main character’s job as a concert musician. Overall, it’s standard horror genre scoring, done with Beltrami’s typically lush and lyrical style.