IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE (DISNEY+) (2026)

SYNOPSIS: Three storylines, spanning thousands of years, intersect and reflect on hope, connection, and the circle of life.

MOVIE REVIEW:

In the Blink of an Eye is an ambitious project that attempts to tell a philosophical story about the vastness of the universe and the circle of life. The narrative spans multiple timelines from a Neanderthal family struggling to survive, to present-day anthropologist Claire (Rashida Jones), and finally to the year 2417, where a spacewoman, Coakley (Kate McKinnon) embarks on a long journey to another planet.

Despite its relatively brief runtime of 94 minutes, the film requires considerable patience to decipher what director Andrew Stanton (WALL-E, John Carter) and screenwriter Colby Day (Spaceman) are trying to convey to the audience.

The drama jumps back and forth between the three storylines. We watch the Neanderthal family navigate illness, childbirth and a peaceful community to settle in. Meanwhile, Claire struggles with grief as she deals with her dying mother while also feeling uncertain about her relationship with Greg (Daveed Diggs), a statistics analyst from her workplace. In the distant future, Coakley and her AI companion ROSCO transport human embryos to a new planet in an effort to preserve the human race, all while dealing with failing plants aboard the spaceship that provide their oxygen supply.

The film touches on several serious and thought-provoking themes, but its narrative feels too uninspired and muddled to make a clear point. Stanton is known for emphasizing emotion and striking visuals in his animated features. However, in his live-action projects, his typically sprawling storytelling approach comes across as somewhat pretentious.

Ultimately, it is difficult to connect with the struggles of the Neanderthal family or Claire’s pursuit of both her career and personal life. Coakley’s mission to save humanity feels hollow and inconsequential. Among the characters, only Greg remains genuinely likable and human. Simply put, there isn’t enough screen time or narrative depth for the different storylines to fully come together.

To its credit, the present-day and future timelines eventually converge through a symbolic use of an acorn to represent life, continuity and emotional meaning. Yet the drama ultimately feels rushed and shallow especially toward the end. Stanton’s second live-action feature, arriving after a 15-year gap, ends up feeling like an exercise in futility. While the film is undeniably ambitious, its ideas never fully materialize beyond some appealing visual aesthetics and Thomas Newman’s evocative musical score.  

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee