Directed by Lana Wilson (the Taylor Swift doc Miss Americana, and the Brooke Shields profile Pretty Baby), Look Into My Eyes is a truly fascinating examination of psychics/mediums living in New York City who conduct readings and other deeply intimate ceremonies for clients looking for messages from the beyond and perhaps a glimpse into what is to come in their lives. It genuinely doesn’t matter if you believe in this phenomenon or not, because Wilson structures her documentary to reveal less about the providers and more about the psyches of the clients, many of whom are mourning, lonely, and damaged and are simply looking for some sort of connection and hope through these sessions.
Nothing about Look Into My Eyes is going to convince you of anything specific or change your opinion on psychics; that isn’t what it’s trying to do. That being said, some of these sessions are so accurate or freakishly on point that you’ll probably think twice about your opinions on these practices. In no way does Wilson look down upon or make fun of these spiritualists, and it’s clear that for many of these clients, they are using these sessions to take the place of actual therapy. If they get more comfort from psychics than shrinks, who are we to say they’re wrong?
Most of the psychics seem very down to earth, friendly, and don’t take themselves too seriously. Some don’t charge, because they feel that would be exploitative, and most admit when something isn’t working right or the messages aren't flowing to them. At this point, we’re all vaguely aware of the tricks of the fortune teller trade, but we don’t see a great deal of those scams in this film. Either Wilson had criteria for selecting her subjects or she just lucked out, but they all feel like kind people, simply looking to give their clients peace and contact. When one of the psychics unexpectedly has a client who he went to college with, it ends up leading to one of the most emotional exchanges about a mutual friend who took his own life.
Perhaps the only place the film drops off in terms of its interest level is a scene in which all the film’s psychics and mediums are brought together in some sort of makeshift gathering, and they start vibing on each other. I don’t think the sequence results in anything nearly as interesting as we hope it will, but it’s still enjoyable to see them interact, compare notes, and share a space with someone other than a vulnerable client. I’m not sure how much we actually learn about psychics from Look Into My Eyes, but I genuinely enjoyed spending time with these slightly odd but utterly absorbing individuals. Seek this one out in one of the limited places it’s playing.
The film is now playing at AMC River East and the Wilmette Theatre.
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