Lana Wilson's Look into My Eyes doesn't judge its subjects nor does it set out to prove that psychics are real, rather it showcases how these mediums can usher in healing for those who seek their services.
Look Into My Eyes Review
I will fully admit that the idea of psychics communicating with dead loved ones is not something I put much faith in. It's all a con to me, whether it is done out of a genuine desire to help those mourning or not. I've been to cities where these types of things are as a common as Starbucks are here in Washington DC. New Orleans was full of fortune tellers, psychics, you name it there was at least once crystal shop dedicated to it. New York is another city where these types of services seem abundant and that is where this documentary takes place.
Wilson's documentary focuses on an eclectic group of seven psychics, each with their own area of expertise and level of belief in their work. One fits the grifter vibe the most as she travels around to parties to perform impromptu readings. Another focuses on helping her clients process past traumas, including those their ancestors experienced. Then there is perhaps the most “out there” one of all, a woman who is the pet psychic. As a skeptic, I cast a wary eye on all of them as they were introduced but by the end Wilson had me at least understanding and even appreciating what these psychics do for the people who seek them out. This movie succeeded in doing so solely based on how Wilson framed their stories using a non judgmental eye and a genuine wish to understand their world.
Look Into My Eyes follows a simple format: interview and follow around a group of psychics while observing and recording their psychic readings. Their clients' motives are as diverse as the mediums themselves. They also happen to disprove that people only seek out divine help for small things like finding a partner or some idea of what their futures may hold. Sure there are some that do, and naturally speaking to a loved one is almost standard, but some seek guidance about why they were adopted or why they can't stop thinking about some information they learned. At times their answers seem fairly generic. I found myself muttering well duh a few times and Wilson even shows the questioning look in their eyes. But for every facepalm kind of moment there is one that genuinely seemed intuitive. Whether they believe the psychics or not is irrelevant. These people are simply seeking someone to confirm that the half-truths they have told themselves are in fact the whole truth.
One of the first things to stick out to me about these psychics is the fact they all, in one way or another, have a background in theater or acting. Some are even still trying to get gigs, going to auditions when they aren't consoling those dealing with loss and hopelessness. Then there is how they got these special abilities to begin with. One claims it stemmed from a loss, while another says their sensitivity to the supernatural just developed one day. Does that make them fake? Would it matter to their clients if they knew? The answer to the former is maybe and to the latter it's unlikely. Because as one of them plainly states: “if it resonates with them, it doesn’t matter.” Perhaps that is all the takeaway you need. Life can be lonely, painful, and sad. Sometimes all it takes to move forward is someone reaching out a reassuring hand.
Beyond the surface level of the doc, Look Into My Eyes chooses to touch upon the profound nature of belief. The things we tell ourselves, whether truth or lies, in order to keep going through the motions of life. It also takes a look at how these sessions end up being mutually beneficial. The psychics themselves are not without doubts, fears, or troubled thoughts. Many times we witness as both the client and the psychic come away from a session with a renewed sense of hope. What they “uncovered” during the readings might be fake but these emotions and the healing they get from them are very much real.
Verdict
Many supernatural films have tried (and failed) to convince audiences to believe in whatever subject they happen to be showcasing. The problem with them is that they try too hard to find evidence to support their claims when, to me at least, anything supernatural is never meant to be proven outright. If it could be proved with something as simple as a photograph or grainy video feed then there is zero need for belief and belief is one of the strongest forces in humanity's nature. Wilson and A24's Look Into My Eyes didn't convert me nor do I believe it was trying to, but it did present this community of individuals and their clients in a way that made me realize why psychics are needed. Whether they or even their clients fully believe in what they do never factors in. It's simply one person seeking to help another and at the end of the day what is so bad about that?
Look Into My Eyes is in limited theaters as of September 6 and is coming nationwide to select theaters September 13. It is rated R for language with a runtime of 106 minutes.
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