In the Blink of an Eye review: Moving message, shaky execution
In the Blink of an Eye received some pretty unfavourable reviews at Sundance last month, but my love for Rashida Jones and Kate McKinnon prevailed and I decided to check it out anyway. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a mess, even though I respect the goal and ambition.
The film, directed by Andrew Stanton, cuts between three stories set in different periods of history. The first follows a Neanderthal family (played by Tanaya Beatty, Jorge Vargas and Skywalker Hughes) as they navigate life, birth, death and illness. The second – set in 2025 – follows anthropologist Claire (Jones) as she navigates her career, her relationship with Greg (Daveed Diggs), the death of her mother, the birth of their children and so on. Set in the future, the third follows Coakley (McKinnon), an astronaut tasked with taking a spaceship filled with human embryos to a new planet to save humanity.
I usually love big sweeping films about the ups and downs of the human experience, ones that cover a big chunk of a character’s life and give you plenty of food for thought. So despite all its narrative flaws, In the Blink of an Eye still got to me in the end. The storylines tied up in a beautiful, meaningful way and were edited together to show that everyone experiences these highs and lows, no matter what period of history they’re living in. I was actually moved and came away with big existential feelings.
But there’s no denying that it’s a slog to get to that place. The storytelling is slow and messy and cutting back and forth between three stories means none of them ever gain genuine momentum, except when it’s hurtling towards its grand conclusion and there are rapid cuts showing the parallels between them. I was honestly quite bored for a good chunk of this film and it felt so much longer than its 90 minutes. Each story had its own pitfalls, from not being able to understand the Neanderthals (although you can still follow what’s happening), not caring about McKinnon’s plant dilemma, and not believing the progress in Claire and Greg’s relationship (the time jumps were unclear). But the stories improve as they go.
Ultimately, In the Blink of an Eye is saved from being a complete disaster by the moving final act and Jones and Diggs’ lovely performances. But I imagine most people watching at home won’t make it that far.
Now streaming on Disney+