A bunch of people sequestered away and given experimental drugs? Is that an extended metaphor for COVID lockdowns?
The Irish horror, Double Blind introduces us to the recondite Blackwood Pharmaceuticals through Claire, a surly 30-something test subject in it for a quick buck.
And as the title/premise would suggest, Double Blind is a drug trial horror, a la English horror, The Facility.
And like that one, the pharma baddies dangle financial enticements to keep participants engaged. In the case of 2012’s The Facility, it’s £2,000 (about USD $2,500) but as befits the current cost of living/inflation, 2023’s Double Blind antes up by offering €30,000 (about USD $33,000) to keep folks motivated. The dozen or so test subjects whoop it up and fantasize about not having roommates, or going to live somewhere exotic for a few years on that princely sum.
Before too long, however, a member of their ranks bleeds out of every orifice, Ebola-style.
But before anyone can seek medical attention or launch a class action lawsuit, the facility goes into automatic shutdown mode, with a giant countdown clock enumerating the time left until the doors spring open (!). It’s a hilariously dumb, yet strangely compelling idea. And there’s another gimmicky conceit as well: you see, one of the participants is med student, Amir, who figures out that one of the drug’s deadly side effects is to kill those who fall asleep.
That makes this production veer into Nightmare on Elm Street territory, wherein Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) had to guzzle coffee to avoid the Springfield Slasher. Here, however, it’s smelling salts, that miracle drug that gives athletes that certain je ne sais quoi.
And it’s refreshing that Double Blind doesn’t go down the path of intra-person transmission/zombie-style outbreak. That’s a welcome change from where these things go usually.
Plus, the bleary-eyed principals are resourceful too – both Claire and Amir have a lot of agency – which makes this a cut above.
***3/4 (out of 5)
[Check out the Really Awful Movies podcast discussion of Double Blind]
Really Awful Movies 