If you thought psychics were only found on ghost-hunting shows, you’d better Look Into My Eyes!
This R-rated intimate look into the lives of psychics (as well as their clients) is definitely a fascinating case study. Writer-director Lana Wilson takes us on a 105-minute journey as her hosts attempt to find answers for their clients, trying to find meaning in their lives. Sometimes, even they doubt what they’re doing as they try to make sense of it all.
There are many reasons why people are drawn to psychics, and in this A24 Films documentary, a sample of clients includes a doctor, a family group session, people in pain, people seeking financial stability, those with climate-change fears, an adoptee seeking info on their birth parents and someone simply asking random questions of the universe. While trying to close the unknown chapters of their lives, they hope to learn the rest of their story. But the uncovered information is not always positive.
“Most people who enter work like this, at the beginning, are wondering, ‘Am I making this shit up?'”
Six psychics are featured in this film within the general New York City vicinity and each one uses a different technique while searching for the truth. Coming from of a variety of races, I’m randomly curious how each one was chosen for this film. Many of them have been doubted all their lives, and in order to escape difficult situations, they have turned to the psychic world. They’re unconventional and the film explores their creative side — working part time in the entertainment industry seems to be a constant for a few of them. Deciphering psychic images has also improved their screenplay interpretations.
Long pauses of silence are paired with nervous anticipation. Breathing exercises are encouraged. There’s no narration in this film, as lingering traumas are explored through their voices and experiences. Initial paranormal experiences are described. The grieving out loud isn’t always pretty to look at; sometimes it feels like you’re a creeper as they experience different emotions. This is not an infomercial. While no names or haunting details are ever given, it’s more like self-help, with a boost.
“Sometimes… healers need the most healing.”
Validation is sought by everyone, including some lingering spirits. The anxieties of these open-minded people are on display as they seek messages from those who have passed. The skeptic in me paid very close attention to the way information was presented by these psychics. Could it all be a ruse? From what I watched, I didn’t notice any leading questions. And most of the information willingly came from the psychics, not the other way around.
Two of the psychics discussed an educational aspect to the profession. One attended a psychic class in order to hone their talent and another attended holistic studies in order to perform “animal communication,” and I was immediately hooked.
Clairvoyant therapy sounds wild enough as it is, but if you actually have the ability to speak to not just past animals, but those that are still living, that’s an absolute gamechanger. I didn’t even know that was possible and broke down, yearning to communicate with my recently euthanized pup, Mocha, who had gone blind after her long bout with diabetes. I’ve got to find me one of these healers!
Are short-term psychics cheaper than paying for an extended-stay visits with a psychologist? Maybe. Their interpretations of certain situations seem valuable as they channel the existential pressures from the other side. Both healers and clients alike seem truly authentic here. My only complaint in this film came from the second act, when the film’s pace dramatically drags, showing a little too much of the healers’ personal lives.
For those who don’t already know, intuitives don’t have all the answers and these on-screen practitioners don’t overpromise what they can’t provide, but from what is shown, the proof is in the pudding. It seems like they’re legit. And when all six of them come together in an attempt to help each other, it’s a great moment.
My personal thoughts concerning psychics are cloudy. While I’ve only had one brief experience in my life at a group seance during a random horror convention, its results were vague, at best. I want to believe I spoke to my recently passed grandfather, but I may never know the truth about that session.
This movie should definitely be watched by fans of paranormal TV shows. The horror elements involved should intrigue that crowd, as well. And anyone experiencing personal struggles and difficulties who feels isolated should also give it a try. I could have watched an entire limited series focused on psychics working with law enforcement on multiple unsolved mysteries. It’s too bad that profession went unrepresented in this film.
Haunted by the demons of their past, some people simply need to speak their truths in order to get it off their chest. This award-nominated ghost story might be able to provide the context for them on where to look for the necessary help. Look Into My Eyes feels like a primer for people in need. The film made me reconsider giving a different psychic another chance at some point, in order to confirm this truth: All dogs go to heaven.