Don’t Look Away (2023) Review

The horror genre has long surpassed its days of killer doll movies, doing its rounds within the genre every other decade ready to tease a new patch of genre fans with a brand-new tale of possessed plastic. Each taking on a new shape as a fresh means of inflicting unbearable torture onto the unlucky cast of victims unfortunate enough to stumble into its devastating path. From Chucky to a Killer Sofa (which was a lot better than it had any right to be); we have seen our fair share of unlikely villains take centre stage and leave a trail of bodies in their wake, but have we been robbed of a decent killer mannequin feature? I think so.

Yes, Tourist Trap in many ways felt like the first (and only?) possessed mannequin moment in horror history, or at least the most established within the community, yet feels as though it’s an existing perspective that hasn’t been as explored as one might have thought – or hoped. Maniac may have dabbled in the black arts, with Silent Hill: Revelations giving a little more vigour to their wooden features; but Don’t Look Away has done something new altogether – delivering a slasher with a killer mannequin at its focal point. But ultimately; did it itch a scratch we probably didn’t know itched, or needed scratched?

Following a robbery that’s gone awry resulting in the death of each criminal involved after the unboxing of a mysterious mannequin; Frankie, who got tangled in the death of one of the criminals begins getting stalked by the mannequin after looking at it. After being led down a road of paranoia and fear, Frankie accidentally involves her friends in its wicked mystique, following and murdering each friend who dares to look away from its deathly stare. Leading Frankie and her friends down a dark path of murder, anxiety, and insanity.

As frightfully wooden as the very antagonist that stalks its characters; Don’t Look Away is a dastardly string of missed opportunities, playing out like a bargain bin tale from Creepshow on the top of nobody’s list. All bark and no bite, we are quickly drawn into a story far more interesting on paper than in execution – delivering a sharp punch of an intro that quickly fizzles out, alluding to an idea that gave just about everyone involved little to work with. Far more fitting in a short film format, Don’t Look Away struggles to stretch its simple (and somewhat effective) plot into anything remotely inventive, failing to abide by the rules of its own creation, resulting in a seriously incoherent and poorly executed mess. One might wonder just how the stare of the killer mannequin works, and as the film progresses it becomes evident the creators had that very same thought. An unconvincing experiment in box ticking from creatives that evidently are unsure how to use simplicity effectively.

Frustratingly, Don’t Look Away has a spark to it, seeped in a retro flare reminiscent of early 90’s horror, like some sort of demented episode of Goosebumps too explicit for kids yet not quite clever enough for adults. Failing to capitalise on its simplistic premise but ultimately backing themselves into a narrative corner, giving the story and its characters nowhere to go. Even down to its lead final girl Frankie (Kelly Bastard), who while done a more than fine job with the material given, was trapped in a character whose personality refused to go beyond the only evident trait of traumatised. Much like the rest of the cast, anchored down by painfully one-dimensional characters, packed to the brim with dire-logue so wooden they gave the killer mannequin some depth. Everything here is so painfully on the nose it zaps any room for thought or interest – who is this mannequin? Where did it come from? Why is it doing what it’s doing? Halfway through, you’ll lose the will to care.

Whilst the idea and depiction of the killer mannequin is undoubtedly an intriguing one, Michael Barafo evidently can’t seem to manoeuvre how its powers work nor how it even exists. Often chopping and changing the antagonists over lore to fit the characters at hand. Going off the very title itself “Don’t Look Away”, that rule only seems to apply when canon fodder is on the chopping block, yet when the main players are on the firing line the mannequins own devilish rules are fudged more than slightly. Whilst there are obvious limitations to the whole “if you look away you die” perspective, it also seems incredibly inept to corner yourself with mythos that allows such little room for creativity. It all feels insanely incoherent, and often have you interchanging between scratching your head, rolling your eyes, or occasionally yawning. Yep, it’s that type of movie.

Frustratingly, Don’t Look Away has a few elements that show some signs of promise, with an admirable performance from Kelly Bastard and a creepy presence from its killer mannequin. Ultimately however, it’s evident Barafo has bit off more than he can chew with a story so rigid it makes its wooden antagonist look like a gold medal gymnast. Whilst the allure is certainly there, a complete lack of understanding for suspense, poorly acted and written characters, and an inept understanding for the antagonist’s own lure makes for a crushing missed opportunity with more holes than a Swiss cheese banquette. Don’t Look Away it’s reminding us – but don’t worry, I’d advise you to do the opposite.

Movie Rating:

Don’t Look Away trailer