Were one to look back at the history of alleged psychics and those who sought to challenge such claimants, it won’t take long before stumbling across the plans of Harry Houdini, legendary escape artist, illusionist, and debunker of many a supernatural event, as he once made a pact with his wife Bess that, were the magician to uncover a method by which to communicate with his spouse following his own passing, he would pass along a message to Bess meaningful to only these two. This never occurred.
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Fast forward decades, and the likes of Houdini, alongside such notable figures as the late James Randi, have made it something of a mission to expose those who believe themselves to possess some variation of prophetic ability, from “aura reader” Barbara Martin to television personality John Edward, among countless others who continue to come forth with every passing year. Edward, in particular, made his name thanks in no small part to a widely-seen Sci-Fi Channel program, “Crossing Over,” in which the so-called medium interviewed audience members regarding deceased loved ones as he provided them with information Edward insisted had crossed the threshold of death and has emerged from the mouth of the host in an effort to provide comfort, answers to questions and, with any luck, a bit of closure. Cold reading, the technique Edward is said to employ, could be seen as a solution to the hypothesis that is the genesis of those who call themselves psychics, and in the documentary, “Look Into My Eyes,” this question places itself on full display once more, but not without gently shepherding its participants, as much as its audience, towards a destination devoid of empirical evidence and full of shoulders on which to lean.
It’s a unique documentary, utterly absent of title cards, names of participants, and much of the traditional talking head setup, instead forcing the audience to pay close attention as the film opens by immediately thrusting the viewer into the position of a third wheel as what appear to be garden variety first-person interviews take place with a handful of seemingly average individuals as a voice off-screen asks questions. It’s clear that the voice behind the camera is that of the psychic, and as the interviewee of the moment muses on their wish to learn what happened with a child who passed on, what one’s path in life holds in store, how to best handle financial obligations or whether long-lost birth parents still think about them, that same voice begins the process of carrying out each request. Cold reading has long been viewed by many as nothing more than a party trick based on suggestive questions, the answers provided by the subject and the medium proceeding with a vague response, one that likely relates to the topic in some way, shape, or form and further tailoring additional information based on their reaction. The film does show one psychic as he prefaces his reading by asking his interviewee whether they wish to continue listening if the messages suddenly become negative. However, it still does little to show each medium as doing anything less than the apparent grasping at metaphysical straws.
Twenty minutes in, however, the film shifts from this particular setup to a focus on the psychics themselves, and it’s here that an interesting pattern emerges, with each possessing a background in the performance arts. From the cramped NYC-based apartments each call home, some can be seen running lines for potential auditions, leaving a voicemail regarding an open mic, or even attempting to recite a segment from prior theatrical work, with the latter seen several minutes later working the crowd as a party psychic. One even specializes in otherworldly connections to animals, and it isn’t long before several begin to delve deeper into the life they led before and the circumstances that led them to this particular calling, sometimes having escaped from a world to which they no longer feel attached. Trauma runs rampant in the lives of each; drug use, devastating loss, and a departure from organized religion are but several key moments that have not only shaped but, in some instances, been the cause of their mediumship.
Whether an act or something genuinely spiritual, the film isn’t afraid to show a failed attempt or two; one particular moment sees a reading occur when the image of a skateboard materializes before the medium, and as the subject politely indicates no significant attachment to such an item, said medium turns toward the film’s crew, asking with the faintest shadow of desperation if anyone has a connection. Those who believe may see this subset as imbibed with the ability to see everything, every future, and every possible outcome, but as one psychic muses, these people, more often than not, simply peer around the corner of the unknown. Maybe their vision extends mere feet before them, and almost all the time, they’re unable to peek into their own lives, their own future. In fact, one such individual who himself lost a dear friend takes his wish to peer into the afterlife to something of a séance, a scene showing several mediums working together as they assist with his plea; by this point, with roughly fifteen minutes of runtime remaining, the overarching goal becomes clear. More than anything, these connections, made throughout a conversation, have become therapeutic for each.
“Look Into My Eyes” isn’t without some degree of polish. Still, director Lana Wilson chooses to ultimately eschew cutaways, soundtrack, and a filmmaking flex or two for an intimate experience that’s ever so slice-of-life in a manner that never seeks to uncover the truth behind these soothsayers and, in what could be seen as an about-face from the main topic, portrays each as uniquely human, flawed and in possession of a gift that’s here to offer a helping hand to those who need it most. These people came out of need, and the resulting film is truly as real as it gets. For a movie about the apparent world beyond our own, that’s saying more than any psychic could ever predict. [A-]
A24 opens “Look Into My Eyes” in limited release on September 6 and then goes wide on September 20.