Movie Review: “Alone” Directed by John Hyams
Alone
Directed by John Hyams, 2020
Note: There are two 2020 releases with this same single-word title, Alone. The one you can skip is pandemic/epidemic centered and is really abysmal fare, haha! This one, however, should be on the top of your Watchlists and Queues.
TW: suicide, death of a loved one/loss of a spouse, car accident, kidnapping, gaslighting, stalking, tight spaces/claustrophobia, blood and violence, gun violence, disturbing imagery, misogyny and terrifying men, serial killers, traveling alone
Alone is a barebones thriller executed with expert precision. My adrenaline was so high! Jess is recently widowed and is attempting to start life fresh when she is kidnapped by a cold, calculating killer. He locks her up in a hunting cabin in the middle of the woods and begins a sick little game of cat-and-mouse when she escapes. Jess is forced to choose between battling the unforgiving wilderness or facing her potential murderer. We don't get much background on either character, but it actually works in our favour to remain detached in that way. Thanks to our limited knowledge, the fear of the unknown is dialled up to 11. We know as much about the man as Jess does, which makes him incredibly treacherous; it's also very easy to allow your imagination to get the best of you, giving him your own back story: Were there previous murders? How many women? What is his motive or is this just for fun? And we also know very little about Jess, except that she's recently widowed, which ramps up the uncertainty as to the possibility of rescue. Is anyone looking for her? Does anyone know she's gone? Is there anyone or anything to keep her motivated for survival?
It's split into "acts" with titles, giving it a small push of stage play drama, a dynamic which really works in its favor. The cinematography is excellent here, and the overhead shots combined with incredibly tight, suffocating close-ups are a genius move for tension building. The lengthy takes of Jess hiding in place, peering around corners to survey the danger, and long meandering moments of her kidnapper doing "normal things" instill an incredible sense of tension. The contrast between shadow and bright light is used repeatedly as a framing device, adding to the claustrophobic anxiety. Each of those tense scenes exists just long enough to push you into Jess's sphere of panic and dread, to keep the audience sitting at the edge of their tolerance zone before screaming at the screen.
There is a very limited cast, but the environment and cabin are just as much a "character" as the humans. That house is terrifying and menacing instead of being cozy and comforting retreat. The forest is lush and green, and trees seem to touch the sky, forming a canopy and seeming more like hulking, terrifying giants. Instead of being something beautiful and breathtaking, it's utterly frightening and overwhelming. Having Jess's environment be so intimidating helps create even more of a foreboding vibe, aiding even further in the disorienting chaos and terror of the unknown.
By the end of the film's 98min runtime, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation. It's got a great narrative quality that starts off a little slow and meandering, but then barrels straight on to the finish without giving you unnecessary "twists" or melodramatic "gotcha" moments. I thought this was a breath of fresh air for the thriller genre, and it's definitely a great popcorn movie for watching with friends! You'll have a very hard time not squealing or yelling to help Jess along the way. Definitely worth the watch!
Movie Review by Ellen Avigliano