Dundalk director's film to hit Irish cinemas next week

Imagine a scenario where sleep, the most innocent of activities, becomes a terrifying prospect, a fatal gamble with one's life. This chilling premise lies at the heart of local director Ian Hunt Duffy’s latest film, “Double Blind,” a gripping horror-thriller that promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

The story unfolds when seven young individuals, lured by the promise of quick cash, sign up for an experimental drug trial at a remote medical facility. Little do they know that their participation will plunge them into a nightmarish ordeal. The drug they ingest has a horrifying side effect: falling asleep means certain death. Trapped within the confines of the facility, the group must navigate their way through paranoia, distrust, and the relentless need to stay awake in order to survive.

“Double Blind” emerges as a collaboration between writer Darach McGarrigle and Blackrock director Ian Hunt Duffy, both known for their penchant for genre films. Building on the success of their previous works, including the acclaimed short film “Gridlock,” the duo secured funding to bring their vision to life. With principal photography taking place in Ireland, the film promises a thrilling ride filled with action, special effects, and heart-stopping suspense.

For Ian Hunt Duffy, a native of Dundalk and an accomplished filmmaker, “Double Blind” represents a culmination of his passion for genre cinema. His previous accolades include an IFTA nomination and an Oscar longlisting for “Gridlock,” along with numerous awards from prestigious film festivals worldwide. With “Double Blind,” Ian delves deeper into the realm of high-concept storytelling, aiming to captivate audiences with its unique premise and visceral thrills.

Director Ian Hunt-Duffy

Speaking to the Democrat last year having just wrapped filming, Ian explained how the film came about: “We were always kind of trying to work towards the feature film and shorts, by and large, are kind of stepping stone towards a feature in Ireland anyway, you kind of cut your teeth on short films first to try to show what you can do and develop your style and your voice of the filmmaker.

“And so then I asked Darach if he had any ideas for a feature film, and he had the idea for Double Blind, which I mean, he had the main premise, the hook, which was if you fall asleep, you die.

“I thought it was great, so he went off and wrote a first draft of it and we submitted it to Screen Ireland, for funding for me to continue to develop the script.”

Reflecting on the film’s premise, Ian, who attended De La Salle, shares his excitement about exploring the fear and panic associated with something as mundane as sleep turning deadly. With a talented ensemble cast led by Millie Brady and horror icon Pollyanna McIntosh, he is eager for audiences to experience the tension, disorientation, and dread that “Double Blind” has to offer.

“As a director I am deeply passionate about creating high-concept and suspenseful genre films, and I believe that the hook of our story —if you fall asleep you die —is really evocative and exciting.

“It takes something normal and innocent like sleep and makes it deadly, creating panic and terror whenever someone closes their eyes.

“We have a fantastic ensemble cast led by Millie Brady and horror icon Pollyanna McIntosh, so I cannot wait for audiences to experience the tension, disorientation, and dread of Double Blind.”

Ian cites James Cameron and John Carpenter among his influences.

“I love genre filmmaking. I was born and raised on the movies of James Cameron and John Carpenter, films that would just grip an audience and keep them guessing you know?

“Like Gridlock was like a thriller, my attempt at a kind of a mystery thriller, something like a Twilight Zone episode.

“I love films that are all set in one location and create these pressure cooker environments.

“I’m also a big fan of high concept films like one that you can pitch simply and picture. Something that hooks an audience and they can instantly attach to.”

When stepping into the world of one of his films, Ian told the Democrat audiences can expect suspense and tension with a keen focus on incorporating thriller elements.

“I guess it’s suspense. I very much try to incorporate the thriller aspect. I try to make taut and suspenseful films, ones with an inbuilt ticking clock device, where you can really feel that pressure building on the characters.

“I will try to put the audience into the character’s shoes as much as possible.

“And then in Double Blind because it’s all about sleep deprivation and sort of confusion and paranoia, that aspect has to come into it and there are a lot of different ways to do that with camera tricks and composition and music and sound design.

“We’re really trying to immerse the viewer in the same sort of twitchy, dreamlike state and atmosphere that these characters find themselves in.”

'Double Blind' will be released in Irish cinemas nationwide from February 9th (including the Omniplex and IMC cinemas in Dundalk). You can view the trailer for the film below:

Double Blind Trailer: https://youtu.be/mpUROlK2hjI?si=3tPYwmwejvVvq9VH