‘SEE FOR ME’ director breaks into the details of IFC Midnight’s twisty home-invasion thriller

Preston Barta // Features Editor

Early January is the time of year when many awards-hungry movies that only played in a few theaters at 2021’s end begin to expand. It’s also known as the graveyard movie season – an unofficial release slot for studios to dump the films they don’t know where to place. However, if January is the graveyard season, then IFC Midnight’s new sensory thriller, See For Me, is the shovel moving the rest out of the way. It’s a solid midnighter that subverts expectations with its cat-and-mouse high jinks. It also puts a compelling spin on home-invasion flicks (like Don’t Breathe) by weaving in the digital age and authentic human complexity.

Directed by Japanese Canadian filmmaker Randall Okita (2016’s The Lockpicker), See For Me centers on a blind former skier, Sophie (an excellent Skyler Davenport), who’s house-sitting at a sequestered mansion in the cold mountains. Soon, she finds herself under invasion by criminals. Sophie’s only hope of making it on the other side is by using a phone app called “See For Me” that connects her to a volunteer across the country (an equally as great Jessica Parker Kennedy) who sees on her behalf. 

And that’s only what’s on the surface. The story is layered with other fascinating characters and narrative reveals that consistently keep you guessing where it will go. Every time you think See For Me is going to zig, it zags – embodying the technique of a skier traveling down a snowy mountain. 

To help us break into some of these details, Fresh Fiction spoke with Mr. Okita. In the 13-minute video interview below, we discuss what lies beyond the surface of all the film’s twists and turns (keeping it spoiler-free) and how he created a space that feels immersive without losing the audience. 

Enjoy the conversation, and catch See For Me this weekend in select theaters and on-demand platforms!