In “Look Into My Eyes,” director Lana Wilson observes her subjects (a small group of New York City psychics and clairvoyants and their clients) with a non-judgemental attitude. As many doubt the validity of the profession, those who claim to be able to communicate with the dead are often the victims of ridicule. Wilson does not set out to craft a disrespectful exposé that questions these individuals’ motives and abilities. The filmmaker has empathy for the seven psychics found within the piece. These aren’t the “Psychic Hotline” types, but lonely, broken people who seek purpose and connection.

The seven mediums that populate this engrossing and often moving doc share something more than just their profession. Each one shares a background in acting or writing. One should not come away from the film labeling them as “failed performers.” These men and women have been through their own personal tragedies and events that continue to define them. While they may have been thrown off course while pursuing their dreams, the drive to eventually succeed (one paints, one writes screenplays, one is a part-time actor) has never left. Each one has found its form of spirituality by becoming a conduit to those who have “transitioned” to another plane of existence. For the mediums and their clients, death is never a closed door. 

“Look Into My Eyes” begins with a woman speaking about her mother, who has been dead for twenty years, segueing into a story of how, as a doctor, she dealt with her first pediatric death (a ten-year-old boy who was the victim of a drive-by shooting). Her inability to understand how the boy’s family didn’t break down at the news brought her a deeper focus on acceptance. Calmly, she asks, “How is she?” This opening moment is the connection to the reason so many seek out psychics. One wants closure in knowing their loved ones are at peace as they reach the other side. Wilson understands these people are hurting and hoping to reach cathartis in order to free themselves from emotional pain.

From here, the film moves into the personal stories of the seven psychics. The director visits the mediums in their homes to get a feel for their journeys. Each of the seven carries varied forms of pain and regret from loved ones who have passed on, be it naturally or from suicide. Most of them have yet to purge the hurt inside them.  

Their stories are colored by loss, but each one has found a certain courage through their ability to communicate with the dead and to (hopefully) ease the pain of others. 

The fact that all seven have some connection to The arts puts them under unavoidable scrutiny. During some sessions, one will wonder if they are actors using what they have learned to guide them through, or perhaps they are communing with the dead. Wilson doesn’t shy away from showing when these mediums fail. There are scenes where a couple of the psychics cannot seem to land on the right wavelength, and everything they “feel” seems to be incorrect. It becomes clear (whether one believes or not) that the exercise is one big guessing game. Wilson is not closing the book on what may be a very real profession for some. Still, credibility is occasionally questioned for the mediums in her film. The best example is a woman who makes a living communicating with animals. She claims to be able to connect with all animals and tells her clients the standard “He/she wants you to know they love you.” Some of her sessions veer towards eye-rolling, but her personal story frees her from ridicule. She, along with her fellow psychics, seeks validation amongst the living. Their tragic past will no longer define them. Helping others through grief gives them purpose.

The director refuses to take a side and knows it is not up to her to state whether this profession is real. Wilson is not using her film to be this generation’s Geraldo. Not one of these people is portrayed as an opportunist. The primary focus is on what draws someone to become a psychic and what makes them open to such a calling. The film is tender and listens to their stories with an open mind and a welcoming heart. 

“Look Into My Eyes” is not a freakshow where viewers can riff their way through. Lana Wilson has crafted an absorbing and moving film about good people trying to connect to their true selves and find their place in the world. We can believe or not believe in psychic phenomena, but if these seven help a few souls along the way, this life is grateful to have them.