3 out of 5 stars (average)
One Eye Open fills a sorely neglected niche in 2020s horror: pure fun. It takes 2 well-worn genres (in this case a home invasion movie and a haunted house movie) and combines them for a brisk, entertaining time that delivers scares and enjoyment in equal measure. While One Eye Open takes some time to kick into gear, once it does, its genre-mashing premise provides solid atmosphere, enjoyable scares, and a sense of fun absent in most modern horrors.
Recent college grad Samantha (Kushi Beauchamp) is house-sitting and looking to sell the home of her nursing home-based grandfather Hank (Guy Messenger). After getting a ride home from a party from shady driver Chris (Chris Bylsma), the house is invaded by Brad (RJ Mitte, Breaking Bad) and Amanda (Tori Kilkenny), who tie Sam up in the basement. However, after the thieves are seemingly thwarted out of thin air, Samantha and her friend Jaime (Addison Landes) start to realize the property may house more secrets than they originally believed, and that their fight is far from over.
After 2025 proved to be a mixed bag for horror movies, I’m glad to say 2026 is off on the right foot with One Eye Open. I’m always up for films that cross genres well, and this one taking 2 that I’d never had imagined could work and making it look easy is a welcome surprise. The cinematography is eerie, the atmosphere tense, and the dark scenes lit so we can always see what’s happening. While I wasn’t sure what I was in for during the setup, once everything’s established the movie settles into its groove and had me smiling as it played out. The supporting cast leaves a bit to be desired performance-wise, but Beauchamp is a good lead and Landes adds some welcome humor as the tension mounts. It reminded me of the horror-thrillers I saw in my teen years that used cool scary premises to entertaining effect, and I’m glad there’s another one out there like that today for others to discover. One Eye Open is a creepy, original genre-bender that provides good chills for a stormy night. See it!
Not Rated