The 2018 Canadian psychological horror drama, "Look Away," delves into the unsettling narrative of Maria, a 17-year-old high school student grappling with alienation and bullying. Written and directed by Assaf Bernstein, the film stars India Eisley as Maria, alongside Mira Sorvino and Jason Isaacs. The core of the story revolves around Maria's discovery of a sinister mirror image, Airam, who eventually switches places with her, leading to a series
of dark and transformative events. This exploration of identity, revenge, and psychological turmoil forms the backbone of the film's plot.
Maria's Isolated Existence and the Emergence of Airam
Maria Brennan's life is characterized by timidity and isolation. She is a high school outcast, frequently bullied by a classmate named Mark. Her only friend, Lily, has a boyfriend, Sean, who is Maria's secret crush, adding another layer to her emotional struggles. Her home life offers little solace; her father, Dan, is a philandering plastic surgeon and an obsessive perfectionist, while her mother, Amy, battles depression and recurring nightmares. This environment of neglect and emotional distance sets the stage for Maria's psychological breakdown.
The catalyst for the film's central conflict occurs when Maria accidentally discovers a sonogram of twins. Soon after, her reflection begins to move independently, terrifying her. This reflection, which calls herself "Airam" (Maria spelled backward), is everything Maria is not: charismatic, assertive, and confident. Airam promises to alleviate Maria's sadness, offering a tempting escape from her miserable reality. Maria's attempts to confide in her parents are met with indifference, further pushing her towards Airam.
The Switch and Airam's Retribution
A pivotal moment arrives when Dan offers Maria an early birthday present, which turns out to be cosmetic surgery to fix her perceived "flaws." Crushed by this, Maria confides in Airam. After being humiliated and physically assaulted by Mark at a dance, Maria retreats to the bathroom, where she and Airam finally switch places. Amy, Maria's mother, senses that something is amiss with her daughter, but her concerns are repeatedly dismissed by Dan.
Once Airam takes over, Maria's life undergoes a dramatic transformation. Airam is visibly more confident and assertive at school. She publicly exposes Mark's bullying, revealing it stems from a crush, thereby embarrassing him. Airam also orchestrates a confrontation between Amy and Dan's mistress, forcing Amy to acknowledge her husband's infidelity and their superficial marriage. Maria, trapped in the mirror, is appalled by Airam's actions, but Airam insists she is merely being honest and that everyone around them must face the consequences of their sins.
Escalating Violence and Tragic Revelations
Airam's retribution escalates into violence. She lures Mark to the shower, breaks his knee, and bludgeons him. Later, during a skating lesson, Airam's aggressive behavior intimidates Lily, who falls and fatally crushes her skull while being chased. Maria, still in the mirror, begs to switch back, but Airam reminds her that Maria herself wished Lily out of their lives. Airam then seduces Sean, Maria's crush, and they begin an intense relationship marked by wild behavior, including marijuana use, skipping school, and drinking alcohol.
The climax of Airam's destructive path occurs at a motel. When Sean receives a call indicating police want to speak with him and Maria, Airam refuses to go. Sean becomes suspicious, and in a moment of impulse and fear, Airam strikes him with a vodka bottle, killing him. Distraught, she cries with Maria against the bathroom mirror. A deeper, tragic backstory is then revealed: Maria originally had a twin sister who was murdered at birth by Dan due to supposed physical deformities, against Amy's pleas. Airam confronts Dan at his clinic, feigning intoxication, and demands to know if he would love her if she were deformed. After he answers "Yes," she slits his throat with a scalpel, asking, "Why couldn't you love me?" In the aftermath, Airam no longer sees Maria in the mirror, and the film concludes with a series of mirrored shots implying Maria and Airam have merged, lying on either side of Amy in bed, suggesting a final, unsettling integration of their identities.
