The mind can play some wild tricks on your perception of reality, especially when you are sleeping. Nearly everyone has had a dream where they are walking around their house but rooms are in the wrong spots, or even talking to someone who does not quite look like themselves. The opening moments of Perry Blackshear’s 2015 psychological horror debut They Look Like People realizes this phenomenon on screen in the most unsettling way; a restless Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews, A Ghost Waits) is lying in bed in the dead of night with his sleeping wife who turns over to reveal an obscured, shadowy face. While the visual itself is only mildly disconcerting, the visceral reaction from Andrews coupled with the overwhelming sound design elevates this to a moment of deep dread.
Now imagine you are not able to wake up from this nightmare, and you are getting to the disconcerting core of the film. In rapid succession, the film introduces you to a somewhat more composed Wyatt in the modern day, purportedly visiting New York and planning to stay with an unseen friend. He is looking to reconnect with Christian (Evan Dumouchel, Doctor Sleep), a childhood friend who is quick to volunteer his apartment as a place for Wyatt to stay while he is in town. Both men have split with their partners relatively recently, and the built-in history might just be what the other one needs at this moment. While the banter between these two is as friendly and light as you would expect from any old friends, Wyatt is doing his level best to keep himself appearing normal. In reality, Wyatt is struggling with the belief that people are being infected and possessed by creatures who plan to take over the earth, but armed with this information he might be able to put up a fight.
While the movie sets itself up to be something akin to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, what we get is something much more internal but equally riveting. The obvious question is whether or not Wyatt is correct in his beliefs. We see him receiving phone calls in the dead of night with information about his place in the resistance – learning that he will have to “kill a monster that looks like a friend or a harmless innocent.” Where the movie succeeds in walking the elegant narrative tightrope is when it comes to how Wyatt views himself. Wyatt knows he is not completely mentally in balance, even going as far to meet up with his family psychiatrist for help. Yet, even with the threat of mental illness, you still cannot fight the feeling that there is a small chance that there still could be something evil abound. Scenes of Wyatt setting up his arsenal in Christian’s basement as he prepares for the worst arouses both awe and anxiety over what could possibly transpire.
The possible forthcoming “conflict” is the hook for the film, but where the film really earns its place as something special is in the core friendship between Wyatt and Christian. The combination of the screenplay from Blackshear and the tender portrayals by Andrews and Dumouchel provides something a bit magical. The foundation is laid naturally with nuggets of character details sprinkled in amidst the quirky exchanges. The two are not afraid to be vulnerable with one another, from discussing their deepest concerns to literally shaving the back of the other. You also get to see them have silly moments with one another as they recreate games from their youth. You love these two together so much that at times you almost forget there is a darkness lingering just around the corner. As the movie progresses, the limits of friendship are put to the test, culminating in a finale you will not soon forget.
Wyatt might be the more showy role in this limited ensemble, but Christian is a character who serves a much greater purpose than simply reacting to his potentially unstable friend. Christian is a sensitive soul with low self-esteem who is working to leave his meek adolescence behind and become a confident adult. Throughout the film, Christian can be found listening to self-curated motivational tapes and working out obsessively. His need to prove himself to the world often backfires as his “domination” feels like a remnant of a toxic masculinity that many will not tolerate in modern times. We see the best version of Christian when he is attempting to date his boss, Mara (Margaret Ying Drake, The Siren). While the dynamics might be awkward, the two have a lovely rapport that brings some warmth to the story that develops nicely alongside the bromance that is reigniting between Christian and Wyatt. Drake in particular captivates every time she is on screen, proving herself to be every bit the capable badass her character has announced herself to be within the story.
Both main characters, along with some of the supporting ones, have varying levels of mental struggles that are realized on screen. Blackshear handles these stories gracefully, providing empathy even when you might be terrified by what you are witnessing. While obvious terror and gore evokes a visceral response, and there are such images peppered here and there, the psychological nightmares are the ones that you find yourself dwelling upon long after the movie has concluded. They Look Like People ensnares you with the love it has for these characters as individuals and sustains a palpable tension throughout as you work towards the truth of the matter. It is a knockout debut that showcases the best of micro-budget filmmaking.
Video Quality
They Look Like People debuts on Blu-Ray with a very fetching 1080p video presentation that fans should really appreciate. The high definition master is quite striking, and the encode reveals very little in the way of compression artifacts or macroblocking. The presentation provides a pleasing amount of depth on display, especially in the interior shots. The production design along with the fabrics of clothing provide crystal clear textural details. The image is clean with the nuanced color palette popping off the screen. The film employs nice splashes of bold colors when the characters are walking outside. The black levels do appear to lack a bit of depth and show minute signs of crush and banding in certain shots. The flesh tones are natural with a magnificent amount of detail present in close-ups. Overall, this Blu-Ray is an enjoyable representation of this movie.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray provides a solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track which perfectly captures the sound design to this film. Blackshear admits that capturing the sound was not always the easiest task, so any deficiencies are true to the source. There is very little in the way of hard-hitting moments, but the environmental sounds of the world engage the speakers in an effective way. When the characters are roaming from room to room, there are some intriguing ambient details that flesh out the setting. Dialogue is the driving force of the film, and it comes through mostly clearly without being clipped by any competing sounds. The music in the film is well-balanced and maintains its fidelity. Certain sound effects such as some important thunder near the end of the film engage the low end of the track in a way that provides some nice texture to the proceedings. This release provides English, Spanish and French subtitles.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Writer/director Perry Blackshear provides a solo commentary track in which he discusses the personal experiences he brought to the film, the distinct sound design, scenes that were cut along the way, the shooting locations, the positives and negatives of shooting in your own apartment, the improvised moments, and more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Writer/director Perry Blackshear, and actors/producers MacLeod Andrews and Evan Dumouchel provide a spirited and informative commentary track in which they discuss various details from the production including shooting on a limited budget, people from their lives that they included in the film, the crude ways in which they hid beer logos, capturing spontaneous footage between shots, the tricky tightrope of tone and execution, and more that makes for a great listen.
- Audio Commentary #3: Actors MacLeod Andrews, Evan Dumouchel and Margaret Ying Drake provide the final immensely entertaining commentary track in which they reflect back upon their experiences with this project, learning their way through independent filmmaking, elements that they brought from their actual lives to their performances, what a “dad bod” really means, working with props and makeup, and more.
- Introduction: There is a minute-and-a-half optional introduction from director Perry Blackshear in which he reflects on the film and discusses how a supplemental feature on an Ingmar Bergman film shifted his perspective on filmmaking.
- Interviews With The Filmmakers: An 11-minute assortment of interviews with Perry Blackshear, MacLeod Andrews, Evan Dumouchel and Margaret Ying Drake in which they reflect back on their experiences with the film, the origins of the project, what they initially wanted to accomplish with the film, the DIY nature of the project, separating the cinematography from the directing, the best parts of making the film and more.
- Behind The Scenes Collection: A 23-minute collection of footage from the production of the film including rehearsals, setting up sets, on-set interviews, goofing around on set and more. This is a pure delight from beginning to end.
- Deleted and Extra Scenes: This piece provides 12 minutes of unused footage including more scenes developing the relationship between Christian and Wyatt, scenes between Wyatt and Mara after tending to Sandy, an unused ending and more. This is provided with an optional commentary from Perry Blackshear.
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-long trailer is provided here.
- Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “Humanizing Horror’s Monsters: Mental Illness In Perry Blackshear’s They Look Like People” by Anton Bitel. This piece gives a well-rounded analysis of the themes of the film and how it handles the tricky subject matter. .
Final Thoughts
They Look Like People is a prime example of the magic that can transpire when a small but passionate group gets together to make a film even under the tightest financial constraints. The core idea is strong enough to transfix the audience early on, and the creative team both in front of and behind the camera guides you to an emotional conclusion flawlessly. The film can be deeply unsettling one moment and heartwarming the next. It does not try to imitate anyone else, which allows it to carve out its own distinct place in the psychological horror genre. Yellow Veil Pictures and Vinegar Syndrome have released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a terrific assortment of special features. Hopefully this new release will provide a lengthy second life for this one. Highly Recommended
They Look Like People is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Yellow Veil Pictures and Vinegar Syndrome have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.