☆☆☆☆☆ 4/5
Genre : Thriller
Director : John Hyams
Platform : Amazon Prime
A road trip. A killer. Wilderness everywhere. Well, this describes the whole premise of the Alone(2020). In more elaborate sense, the movie is about Jessica who is relocating from her home town. On the road, she encounters a stalker and this is when the situation worsens.
For a survival-slasher-thriller movie the premise may sound a little bit common, but trust me the movie is such a wild ride.
The movie encapsulates the emotions of uncertainty, suspicion and fear wonderfully. Initially when I started watching the movie, I wasn’t sure if the director would be able to generate these emotions and keep us captivated. But as the story progressed, the movie became gripping and suspenseful.
In one scene, the stalker asks Jessica a lift. It is frightening. Jessica wants to be polite but at the same time she is scared of him. We all may have come across this scenario in our life where we make excuses and don’t directly say ‘no’ to a person. A tactic, we use to respectfully decline an offer. This feeling of awkwardness and worry is perfectly attached to this particular scene.
Talking about the stalker, he is creepy and terrifying. His dialogues, behaviour and gestures constantly keeps us on the edge of our seat. Moreover, wherever Jessica goes, her instinct says that the stalker is following her. We too are disturbed by his omnipresence.
The story is told in a chapter format. This gimmick adds depth to the plot and I did find it interesting. The forest, the rain, the cabin and the chasing sequences reminded me of the 2018 movie, What Keeps You Alive. Moreover, one scene in Alone is nearly identical to that of What Keeps You Alive. What sets Alone apart from the 2018 movie, is that Alone has convincing characters, intense action sequences and a riveting screenplay.
Overall, it has a premise of a common survival-slasher film. However, it does offer us an edge of seat experience with a clever direction and beautiful cinematography.
Also read:
What Keeps You Alive Review: The movie is devoid of tragedy, and a convincing story.
Panic Review: A baseless game with no panic
The Mist 2017 Review: Intriguing and Captivating
An Indian reviewer who writes about horror and thriller movies/series. If not movies, he likes to pick up a mystery book to read. Some of his favourite movies/series include Stranger Things, Elite (S1-3), Train to Busan, Andhadhun, Strangers: Prey at Night.