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Blindness

Play trailer Poster for Blindness R Released Oct 3, 2008 2h 0m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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44% Tomatometer 159 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
When an epidemic of a disease known as the "white sickness" appears in her city, the wife (Julianne Moore) of a doctor is one of the few individuals left who still has sight. Sent to a government asylum along with her now-blind husband (Mark Ruffalo), she sees conditions deteriorate until civilization itself is in jeopardy, prompting her break-out of the asylum to lead a small group to freedom.
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Blindness

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Critics Consensus

This allegorical disaster film about society's reaction to mass blindness is mottled and self-satisfied; provocative but not as interesting as its premise implies.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi Outlook The film manages to communicate the sense of deep-rooted paranoia and anxiety to its audience, the moments of claustrophobia on screen reach out and smother viewers. Rated: 3/4 Jan 31, 2019 Full Review David Fear Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 16, 2011 Full Review David Stratton The Australian Glover's occasional all-knowing commentary and the dreary music score dull the edges of what was bound to be a challenging project. Rated: 3/5 Mar 27, 2009 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review From a certain point of view, particularly that of the artist, Blindness is an achievement worth appreciating in all its horrible glory. There are, however, limitations to how much artistic abuse a viewer should have to suffer from commercial cinema. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 30, 2024 Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse The handling of the story and view of the humanity of the characters is challenging, but a tad disengaged to make the film's social commentary truly effective. Rated: 2.5/5 Jan 31, 2021 Full Review Jason Best Movie Talk As we face the possibility of apocalyptic economic collapse and/or ecological catastrophe, this allegorical horror thriller joins Alfonso Cuarón's grim Children of Men as a terrifying vision of the anarchic future that may lie in store for us. Nov 21, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ellie A Worst movie I have ever watched. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/08/23 Full Review jelisije j An interesting concept that was poorly executed and ultimately was a movie that sacrificed realism for a progressive message. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Everyone in this movie catches the "white sickness" which is basically blindness. I'm certain someone in Hollywood was extremely happy they came up the idea to put those two words together. This movie felt more like an instruction manual of how they want us to behave when there is a pandemic, such as: comply fully with each and every government order, behave in a submissive manner, allow others to take advantage of us to the point that you will do >anything< they say, only resist and fight back as the very last possible resort (after you've already allowed yourself to be treated like animals). This movie was released in 2008, so they were likely planting the seeds -- along with other pandemic movies that were released. The behavior of some of the characters was absurd and definitely took away from the entertainment value. This movie is somewhat interesting if you watch movies more for their underlying messages than what the movie pretends to be doing. If you haven't a clue what I'm talking about, then please ask someone who does understand to enlighten you. One must always examine the underlying messages/symbolism of anything Hollywood produces, as they are typically pushing agendas and preparing people for situations that they intend to put us in. Once you start to see it, you can no longer ignore it. It's almost as stark as seeing the messages with special sunglasses in They Live. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review robert p Too long of a movie that has a moral at the end that was good, but delivery was too slow, I had to fast forward through alot of the movie or else I would have given it a *4* star rating, but as the movie is, it only rates as a *3* star movie!!! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Tiago S E se todos ao seu redor ficassem cegos? E se você ficasse cego? Com cores como branco, cinza, preto e bege o filme estrelado por Julianne Moore e Mark Ruffalo é um filme a frente do seu tempo pois vemos a compreensão da mulher com todos, fazendo uma administração bem melhor que os dirigentes que ameaçavam atirar se caso não se afastassem. Um dos momentos mais horríveis foi o sexo por troca de comida, ressaltando que em momentos de desespero tudo é aceito, estupro é um deles tudo para poder sobreviver. Em uma análise ainda sobre a cena do sexo, o ser humano se encontra perdendo sua essência, e agora são puros animais, é chocante, isso pela minha visão é visto como um ensaio fiel ao fim do mundo. E quando tudo estava perdido, uma rebelião acontece pondo fim naquele lugar horrível. Contando para um detalhe agora na cidade vemos uma observação interessante como o lugar marca a visão do fim, sem sociedade e o fim do capitalismo de ganhar dinheiro e comprar agora tudo virou de todo mundo totalmente de graça. Com o fim da sociedade que estávamos acostumados entra outro contraste ao meu ver é o perfeito exemplo de como seria o comunismo, pessoas largadas nas ruas, pegando comidas, produtos, o que encontrar. Em uma cena na igreja colocavam 'vendas' nos Santos para eles não verem a desgraça que estava no mundo. E na última esperança do filme é quando todos estão reunidos no apartamento, e começam a enxergar em uma reflexão talvez para mostrar que depois de tudo as dificuldades há uma luz no fim do túnel, mesmo que as coisas possam parecer impossíveis de superar. E conclusão que a sociedade está cega vivendo na podridão e nem percebem, pois estão preocupados demais, seja na loucura do trabalho, com várias dívidas acumuladas, e não vendo que no fim a união fará a força. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/22 Full Review Audience Member I've pondered a similar scenario before - what if the focus all of humanity had was suddenly ripped away or just disappeared? Could some neurological form of mass blindness occur?? Would people already wearing eyeglasses be affected??? That out of the way, I found the main premise to be intriguing but there were some problems. The characters speaking in a foreign language thus requiring subtitles was a bad idea. Next, it never really felt like a global pandemic, more of an inmates running the asylum type of situation. Also, it was quite odd that they were just left there with no staff... 2020 and it's global pandemic taught us that would not happen quite like that. Again, the initial premise is intriguing but it ended up unfolding as quite improbable and unbelievable all the way to the big ‘army of blind vs the other army of blind' war when it just becomes laughable. It does give a better sense of the widespread nature of it all and does regain some believability before the end but with nothing really answered. Despite it's faults, it's watchable and entertaining in a macabre sort of way. More horrifying than expected. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Blindness

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis When an epidemic of a disease known as the "white sickness" appears in her city, the wife (Julianne Moore) of a doctor is one of the few individuals left who still has sight. Sent to a government asylum along with her now-blind husband (Mark Ruffalo), she sees conditions deteriorate until civilization itself is in jeopardy, prompting her break-out of the asylum to lead a small group to freedom.
Director
Fernando Meirelles
Producer
Niv Fichman, Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Sonoko Sakai
Screenwriter
Don McKellar
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Rhombus Media Inc., Bee Vine, O2 Filmes
Rating
R (Sexual Assaults|Language|Sexuality/Nudity|Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 3, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.1M
Runtime
2h 0m
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