Although the quest for immortality is a common theme, Close Your Eyes is nevertheless compelling. Michael Strother (Visnjic), an American in London, treats Janet Losey (Henderson), a London cop, to stop smoking through hypnosis. During therapy, he sees into her mind, and beholds a little girl floating just beneath the surface of water. The girl from Janet’s subconscious has actually been kidnapped by a serial killer. She has escaped and has been left mute from trauma. Unbeknownst to her superior, Janet calls on Michael to help her with this case. He is soon deeply involved in the search for the madman wanted for the "tattoo murders" of several children.

Like other successful suspense films, we get eerie settings (gothic churches), a fare share of blood and gore (including one particularly grizzly death), and also a ghost story. Jarring cinematography takes us into both Michael and Janet's subconscious. Although there are many storylines, the film is not at all confusing or too complicated, but rather intricately layered pulling the viewer into all plot lines. Given its fantastic ending, one would think the film is too far-fetched to be credible, yet the child-in-jeopardy story line is gripping enough to keep one sucked into the film’s reality. And Shirley Henderson’s sardonic officer is a bolt of energy in all her scenes. An amalgam of The Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, with a touch of David Fincher (Se7en), Close Your Eyes should please this genre’s fans. Lisette Johnson
April 22, 2004