Don’t Blink is a 2014 supernatural horror thriller film directed by Travis Oates, starring Mena Suvari, Brian Austin Green, Joanne Kelly, Robert Picardo, and Zack Ward.   A group of ten friends visit a remote resort which they find is empty, they discover that one by one they begin to disappear.

Positives:

• Great story
• Great level of suspense
• Good performances

Negatives:

• No standout performances
• No standout characters
• Unnecessary jump scares

Plot: Ten people arrive at a secluded mountain resort to find it completely deserted. With no gas for the return trip, the visitors are forced to stay and investigate the mystery surrounding the abandoned lodge. The premise is actually pretty interesting, and the film does a good job of gradually revealing the unnatural events happening. It does tend to get a bit dull due to the some of the elaboration of boring characters but the building suspense keeps it engaging. Loved how the film ends with everyone disappearing but leaving it open ended as to whether Claire survives or not.  (3 out of 5)

Characters: The characters are decent but not really memorable.  The core group are ten characters – Jack and his girlfriend Tracy along with her brother Lucas, Jack’s ex-girlfriend Ella and her new boyfriend Noah, Alex and his friends Sam with his girlfriend Charlotte, and Tracy’s friends Claire and Amelia.  They are likable for the most part just nothing really stands out about them.  (3 out of 5)

Cast: The performances are good though there is nothing really award winning. Brian Austin Green and Zack Ward are probably the most well known of the cast.  The others include Mena Suvari, Joanne Kelly, Fiona Gubelmann, David de Lautour, Leif Gantvoort, Emelie O’Hara, Curtiss Frisle, Samantha Jacober, and Robert Picardo.  (3 out of 5)

Visuals: Also, there are the disappearances. There is a great use of how the film utilizes the effects for how the characters begin disappearing. Most of it is attributed to the great use of the camera angles which proves that sometimes less is better. (3 out of 5)

Music/Score:  Didn’t really mind Mike Verta direction with the score.  Yeah, it isn’t anything special but it does a good job working the suspense and the scares. (3 out of 5)

Writing:  The writing is decent though uneventful at times, especially when it comes to the characters and the dialogue. Next to the premise, the suspense is really good with great execution. The film’s focus on their different perspectives in this situation is actually pretty cool and does help to make the characters unique or the disappearances impactful. Also, the fact that the disappearances are done by an unknown source makes the scares that much more prominent.(3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Don’t Blink is a decent film. Although the performances aren’t standout and the first half of the film is filled with jumpscares, the film does have a good premise with likable characters and great suspense. Don’t Blink gets 3 out of 5.