Some of the most frightening horror experiences are centered around isolated locations from which there is no escape. From The Shining's snowed-in Overlook Hotel to the ships and space stations of the Alien franchise, there are few more effective ways to frighten an audience than making them feel trapped. The upcoming horror film Double Blind is a perfect example of this.
This horror movie centers around seven participants in a drug trial who become trapped when the medical facility enters lockdown. Even worse, the drugs have a deadly side effect - should any of them fall asleep before the lockdown ends, they will never wake up again.
The Best War Games recently spoke with actress Pollyanna McIntosh, known for her roles as Jadis in The Walking Dead and the titular Woman in the Woman film trilogy, about Double Blind and her role in it. McIntosh plays Dr. Burke, the overseer of the trial, who initially sees herself as the sole authority over the seven test subjects. McIntosh described Dr. Burke as arrogant, overly confident, and in control until she discovers the medicine's side effects. Then, McIntosh explained,
"She's just as double-blind as the subjects are."
Double Blind's Single Location Creates Effective Horror
The entirety of Double Blind takes place in a locked medical facility. When the lockdown hits, the group is trapped by reinforced walls and heavy metal doors - escape truly seems impossible. The setting is designed to evoke claustrophobia in viewers. When asked how Double Blind makes effective use of its single location, McIntosh said,
"There's so much movement in it, and so much suspense, and so much character. You've got to discover the facility bit by bit, and it made it feel even more claustrophobic because there's no way out."
Single-location horror films are a grand tradition that includes titles such as The Descent, Train to Busan, Misery, and, perhaps most famously, John Carpenter's 1982 classic The Thing. Double Blind's medical facility shares DNA with The Thing's Antarctic research station: it features sparse decor, uncomfortable beds, and sinister machinery with unknown purposes. While watching Double Blind, viewers could even possibly feel as trapped as the test subjects themselves.
Lack Of Sleep Leads To A Dreamlike Atmosphere
The major theme of Double Blind is sleep, both the lack of it and the fear of it. The test subjects quickly learn that the medicine they have taken has side effects that will kill them if they fall asleep. What follows is a tense exploration of sleep deprivation and its effects on the human psyche. The film's imagery becomes more and more dreamlike and surreal as characters turn to caffeine, smelling salts, drugs, and more as they desperately try to stay awake. Creepy lullabies echo through the facility's sterile halls, and characters hallucinate images both pleasant and shockingly gory. Throughout, the viewer truly cannot tell what is real and what is the product of the characters' sleep deprivation.
McIntosh praised the decision to create a dreamlike atmosphere and explore how dreams can be frightening, comparing the film's exploration of dreams to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and its iconic dream-invading killer, Freddy Krueger. She explained why the seven test subjects fighting not to slip into dreams makes for such effective horror: they're underdogs taking on a seemingly insurmountable force, humanity's basic need for sleep.
"There's just something honest about good horror to me. The stakes are high...and it's focused more on the underdog. Horror often holds the outsider up, so it's cathartic in many ways."
Horror fans looking forward to experiencing this creepy flick don't have long to wait. Double Blind will see a limited release in select theaters and streaming on February 13 worldwide (after first debuting in Ireland on February 9). Pollyanna McIntosh can also be seen in many other horror films, including The Woman, Darlin', Let Us Prey, Tales of Halloween, and the forthcoming horror comedy Apocalypse Clown.