‘All Eyes’ (2022): Disgraced podcaster and farmer track eye monster?!

Now streaming on a vast array of VOD platforms by Gravitas Ventures, Todd Greenlee’s All Eyes is a character-driven monster-themed horror/thriller. It stars Jasper Hammer as Allen, a semi-disgraced podcaster seeking to redeem himself through a new story. He finds it in the quirky farmer named Don (Ben Hall) who believes there is a monster lurking in the woods near his home. However, is the problem just this strange creature, or might Don himself present a few problems? (The film also features Danielle Evon Ploeger, Nick Ballard, Laurie Cummings, and Jeremy Parr, but the overwhelming focus is on Allen and Don).

I don’t really want to give much away in this intro, but I will say something obvious: This movie will not be everyone’s cup of tea. It does not have action in every single scene, and you’ll probably need to put yourself in Allen’s proverbial shoes to appreciate the story better. I can say that, in my opinion, All Eyes does exactly what it sets out to do, which is blending a weird monster movie mythos with situation-driven humor. I appreciate that this movie gets to know the characters somewhat without actually dragging too much, which is a bit of a challenge in itself.

SPOILER ALERT section: What does “All Eyes” accomplish?

I’ll just say it plainly: This movie does throw in plenty of Home Alone-style moments. There, I said it! It is a blend of dark, pain-based humor and actual horror, although one wonders how Allen could pull through the obstacles he faces. Frankly, if you do laugh at these moments, you might question whether or not you’re a bit sadistic. Could that perhaps be intentional (I am not sure)?

The best part of All Eyes is probably the character of Don, who almost seems tailor-made for this era where we are inundated with conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. Fortunately, Don almost represents the lighter, more cryptid-centered side of the “crazy theory” world (I say “almost” because, hey, this movie does ultimately creep into some dark corners).

There is also some real chemistry between Allen and Don, though Allen’s initial behavior is sketchy as hell, almost causing Allen to back out of the project. On that note, this movie thankfully avoids some of the trappings and tropes one typically sees in the “found footage” subgenre, playing out more like a regular monster movie that just happens to have a podcast documentarian.

Does “All Eyes” get anything wrong? (Not particularly!)

So what are some critiques I have of All Eyes? I actually have no major ones, but I will say that, in order to enjoy it fully, I think you’ll simply need to relate to the characters on a basic level. If you’re able to do that, I think you’ll be good with All Eyes. That being said, I fully believe this movie will wind up under the radar, and not even for any special reason. It’s simply a fact that there are tons and tons of monster movies out there, and what are the odds you’ll see them all?

Aside from that, other possible weaknesses exist, depending on preference. You may not embrace the overall concept, the look of the hypothetical monster, or any number of small details you personally think detract from such a movie. Also, if you happen to not like the characters, I think you will find this movie a tough watch because it’s mostly about them. However, I can say that I enjoyed the characters well enough that I could imagine watching this again at some point, and I can’t say about everything. Be on the lookout for All Eyes!

What are your thoughts on All Eyes? Have you seen it? Has it seen you? Let us know in the comments!