Many of you may not be aware of filmmaker Perry Blackshear, but he has quietly been putting out poignant psychological horror films for the last decade. Personally, he reminds me a little of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring), in that his films are deeply human. Small, personal tales brimming with powerful emotion.
Both Blackshear’s The Siren and When I Consume You are well worth the watch if you’re into stories like the above. Yet it’s his first film, They Look Like People, that’s a must-see. Curious? You can stream the director’s debut feature on Prime now.
What’s They Look Like People About?
Troubled by a relationship in which he was cheated on, Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) goes to crash with his best friend, Christian (Evan Dumouchel). What Christian doesn’t know is that Wyatt has begun to believe that evil creatures are taking over the people around him. Wyatt wants to protect his friend from the impending war that he predicts is coming. But mind slipping and unable to trust what he sees, he may have to save his best bud from himself.
A Paranoid Nightmare About Trust and Friendship
Similar to stories such as Frailty, Blackshear largely leaves audiences in the dark as to whether Wyatt’s “demons” are real. As the title states, the monsters lurking around him look like people. He can’t be sure if they truly exist, or if they’re the imagined result of his broken trust in others. Blackshear enhances the terror of that situation through a minimalist approach that keeps They Look Like People grounded to a disturbing reality. Rather than full-on creatures, Wyatt observes the shadowy figures of loved ones sleeping next to him. Are their faces changing, or is it a trick of the darkness?
For Dread’s review of They Look Like People, Ari Drew described the film as, “a masterful exercise in deep psychological terror”. Anxiety-ridden tension creeps off the screen from one scene to the next as Wyatt senses his world closing in. All the while, Christian struggles with what appears to be his friend’s declining mental state.
Blackshear excels at telling personal, human stories. Frequent collaborators Andrews, Dumouchel and Margaret Ying Drake (Christian’s love interest, Mara) all bring an authentic bond to their performances. Wyatt and Christian genuinely feel like life-long friends, making Christian’s struggle to help his BFF all the more moving. This is a film gripped by an unsettling atmosphere, but it’s the thoughtful approach to mental health issues through honest performances that propel it to another level.
I can’t say if Blackshear will ever reach household name status amongst horror fans. But I can say that his work deserves your attention. You can start with my favorite of his films, They Look Like People, streaming on Prime. Yellow Veil Pictures also put out a wonderful Blu-ray through Vinegar Syndrome if physical media is more your jam.
Categorized: News