No One Will Save You (2023) User Reviews

My take on the ending

[haleywatchesmovies · 7/10 · 7 October 2023]

Having just watched it and now read several reviews, I think ppl interpreted the ending wrong...

By the end of the film the whole town is overrun with aliens, as you can see pretty much everyone is getting abducted and infected with an alien parasite that lives in the humans throat. Once they've invaded they flood the mind with idyllic imagery and basically keep the human in that fantasy state. However this did not work on main character. She was too wracked by guilt and rejected the fantasy they gave her, pulling out the throat alien parasite. Then the aliens just built a doppelgänger instead, but she killed that too.

So aliens, with no other option, pull her up and meddle around her mind.

This is where the twist comes. MOST ppl think that she was just given amnesty by the aliens after they saw her guilt and rejection. As if they would be cool with her just existing down there with them bc she's an outcast anyways.

What I think really happened, is that they finally figured out her true desires by looking in her mind- it wasn't to have her dead friend back, it was to finally live with a community that knows her past, accepts her. She wanted a total escape from her life and into live in an alternate reality of the idyllic '50s dream town.

The horror aspect of that is that's she's actually an alien host while shes dancing away in her mind, and that she's so damaged by her past and her total rejection that she'd rather fantasize about escaping humanity completely.

I can't imagine that it's the literal events of the movie and not just a fantasy in her mind. Why would aliens be super into swing? Why would they construct a '50s vibe and hold dance parties and dress in vintage clothing? That's her dream. That's all her.

For that reason I think this is actually a pretty interesting ending and caught me by surprise. I enjoyed it and don't think it 'ruined' the movie at all. It probably has some room for consideration on how the '50s were all about glossing over tragedy, rejecting reality, and treated ppl as if they simply followed their roles in life, rather than being fully fledged and complicated humans.

Brian Duffield delivers an engaging alien invasion thriller with a strong performance by Kaitlyn Dever, even with a messy third act

[IonicBreezeMachine · 7/10 · 22 September 2023]

In the small town of Mill River, Brynn Adams (Kaitlyn Dever) lives on the edge of town in her isolated home only occasionally venturing into town as she's not welcome due to an incident involving her former best friend Maude Collins. During the night, Brynn is awoken by strange noises from in her home that soon prove to be unearthly in nature and a prelude of a bigger nightmare to come.

No One Will Save You is the sophomore feature of Brian Duffield following his 2020 debut Spontaneous. The script was acquired by 20th Century Fox in a competitive bidding war and featured up and coming actress Kaitlyn Dever attached as the lead who'd earned strong acclaim in miniseries such as Unbelievable and Dopesick as well as the 2019 film Booksmart. Largely shot under the radar on a modest budget (roughly $23 million), the movie now makes a rather lowkey debut on Hulu and while it is overall good, I'll admit I did find myself less engaged in the third act.

One of the major defining features of No One Will Save You is that with the exception of one line, the film has no spoken dialogue and this is a purely visual film in terms of creating story and characterization. Kaitlyn Dever has proven herself time and time again as a reliable actress and that's no less true here as she takes what's essentially a one woman show for much of the time and must create a character purely through facial expressions and pantomime and it really works as you get an idea for her character and the situation in her town without a word being spoken. Once the aliens show up, the movie puts its minimalist setting to good use and despite the aliens being somewhat conventional in nature, Duffield finds unique ways of using them (and to a degree justifying their appearance) and we get some really memorable sequences of Brynn either hiding from the aliens or being chased by them. I do have some misgivings about the film especially in how it maybe stretches itself a little much in its minimalist dialogue with a scene towards the middle of the film where Brynn doesn't file a police report (which they try to justify to mixed results in my opinion). The movie also has a third act that tries to tie back to the incident with Brynn's friend Maude and while I think it is better handled than how Signs handled similar traumatic incidents in its take on aliens, it didn't quite hit the mark for me especially with the rather strange note the movie ends on.

It's honestly a shame this movie's been released on Hulu instead of in theaters, because I can see this being exactly the kind of low budget high concept genre film that's begging to be experienced with a full auditorium that would see it perform in the company of films such as Super 8 and A Quiet Place. While I have my personal misgivings about the end result, I applaud Duffield for trying to do something out of convention with the alien sci-fi genre and Dever continues to show what a strong actress she is. That alone makes it worth a viewing in my opinion.

What was that about ?

[wardogz-uk · 5/10 · 22 September 2023]

Ok, i'm obviously too stupid to grasp what happened at the end, i was enjoying it until the end sequence and then i was just like...wtf?

Did she go mad ?

I guess it was about facing the fact of what she had done years ago, and no-one was helping her mentally, because of what she did in the past, but still, THAT ending was beyond my comprehension, like I said, did she go mad or what ?

I guess i'll never know, unless someone much brighter than me (shouldn't be a struggle to find) cares to explain to me what it, or at least the end, means. Meanwhile, i'll sit here in ignorance, scratch my backside and climb back into my tree.

A film that might "alienate" you

[MovieWarfare · 7/10 · 1 October 2023]

I am always interested in people doing something new and this film certainly does that. It already felt different when the premise was a home invasion with aliens. However, it also has minimal dialogue with maybe 5 whole dialogue throughout the whole 90 minutes.

Massive props to the lead actress, Kaitlyn Dever, as the main character Brynn. She has the job of conveying the emotions of her character solely by facial and body language which she succeeds at. I also love the first 2 acts of this film as the tension and horror amounts.

This film is not going to be for everyone. The lack of dialogue might annoy people and make it difficult for people to invest in the character. The last act and ending are a forceful way to tie everything together, and not everyone will understand it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this one massively and hope to see more interesting films like this one.

This isn't perfect....

[durham100 · 7/10 · 22 September 2023]

But it's a lot better than many movies out right now and I really liked it. Think Close Encounters crossed with Communion with a dash of 2001 and some interstellar thrown in to boot. Plus it has its own originality. It looks great and moves along at a lovely pace. Kaitlyn Dever carries the movie and does it exceptionally well - its a fine perormance by an actress that will grow and grow and I can see her with a Streep like status in a few decades time - you can see it in her face. To the reviewer who skipped through it and claims there is "not one line" of dialogue... well, that's what you get for skipping.... My one criticism is I didn't really get the ending, as well done as it was, but that may just be me. I have thoughts on it but hopefully some other reviewer will clarify. This would be best seen on a big screen but regardless of where you see it, I think you will enjoy it and find the 90 minutes flies by. It also stays in your head afterwards which I always think is the mark of a good film. Enjoy.

No One Will Save You is A Thrilling Journey Derailed by a Disastrous Ending

[sirdubs · 5/10 · 22 September 2023]

"No One Will Save You" had all the ingredients of a potential cinematic masterpiece, but it ultimately crumbled under the weight of a baffling and unsatisfying ending that left me perplexed and disappointed. This film started with promise but fell short in delivering a coherent and rewarding conclusion.

The movie begins on a high note, with gripping tension, solid character development, and an engaging plot. The lead actress gives it her all, navigating her character's transformation from vulnerability to resilience with commendable skill. The film's intense sequences and edge-of-your-seat moments hold your attention, making it a notable entry in the thriller genre.

However, it's the ending that undoes much of the movie's good work. Spoiler Alert: The aliens, despite posing a significant threat and suffering casualties at the hands of the protagonist, inexplicably spare her life because of a single childhood trauma event that was itself an accident. This twist is not only implausible but also leaves viewers with more questions than answers.

The film's terrible ending, which could only be described as a narrative misstep, severely detracts from the overall experience. It robs the movie of the coherence and emotional resonance that it initially promised. What could have been a 10-star film is instead hampered by a conclusion that feels rushed and poorly thought out.

What I think happened...

[maxglen · 8/10 · 23 September 2023]

SPOILERS I've seen a few people saying they were confused about the ending, so I'm gonna throw my hat in the ring and try and explain it to the best of my ability as I see things.

Brynn is an outcast, because of the terrible mistake she made when she was young (namely accidentally killing her best friend) the town and community of which she was once an accepted member of, has shunned her and her mother into a life of seclusion; in this sense, you could say that Brynn is an alien to society. She lives like a seamstress from the mid 50s, creating an idyllic model of the town she wishes she lived in but cannot. After her struggle against the aliens, who have been taking over people's bodies with parasites that trick them into believing they are living out there greatest fantasies, the aliens finally abduct Brynn and experience her life and memories themselves and they delegate that they do not need to trick her into thinking she's getting what she wants like everybody else, because what she wants is for everybody in town to like her and forget about her past, which, once the aliens have taken over, they can do. So, they leave her. As she is. She isn't an outcast anymore.

Hopefully this sheds some light on things. I personally loved this movie and it's ending (for me at least) might just be it's greatest strength. I love how the story is conveyed almost entirely through visuals and action and Kaitlyn Dever puts in an incredibly expressive and powerful performance as the lead. Thank you for reading my review/explanation/theory thing and I hope you have a wonderful night or day wherever you are :)

Kaitlyn Dever shines in "Signs" meets "Home Alone"

[adotson-98233 · 7/10 · 22 September 2023]

"No One Will Save You" is a home invasion film and also an alien invasion film that features much more than it may seem at first, let by a shining performance.

Starting off with the good in this movie by far is Kaitlyn Dever. She is outstanding in a role that basically requires no dialogue. She is able to put so much fear and emotion in her expression that truly made this one of her best performances. The camera work is also great. It moves so well and the directing is on point here with many great action scenes. The aliens themselves were pretty creepy and the CGI for them was actually pretty good. I liked the emotional core the film gave. It made me really appreciate it more. And finally the movie is really fast paced and it was a nice 90 minutes.

Now I do have some issues with this movie, mainly regarding the choice to have no dialogue. It works for the most part but it also left me having a hard time understanding what was going on at times. I felt the middle portion of the movie lost some steam from its great first act and action packed third act. And finally I felt that the ending left some unanswered questions about a certain choice that was made. Along with that the end did feel like it was stretched on for maybe 5 minutes longer than it should have been

Overall despite some issues, "No One Will Save You" is a pretty fun home invasion movie with standout lead performance.

No One Will Save You: Looks the part but goes nowhere

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 21 February 2024]

Plot

An exiled anxiety-ridden homebody must battle an alien who's found its way into her home.

Cast

Writer/Director Brian Duffield has been involved with several films I really enjoyed such as Love & Monsters, Spontaneous and The Babysitter so I'm saddened I couldn't hold this to the same level. Beyond that I knew nobody, I have to credit leading lady Kaitlyn Dever though she was great here.

Verdict

I'm not a sci-fi guy, immediately I was concerned I wouldn't like this but advertised as a sci-fi horror I thought I'd give it a go.

What you notice first is how well made it is, fantastic cinematography, a fascinating character with a hidden background you're looking forward to finding out about and manages to pad out her universe really quite well

When everything kicks off it looks great and is paced perfectly, despise my initial concerns I was gripped. The trouble is such sequences get repetitious, basically the same thing happens each time and never really changes things up. Furthermore when you learn about our characters plight it's not really very engaging and has been done before.

Though the movie looks great, the leading lady is competent and there's unexpected depth to the film it still fell short for me and delivered a highly average effort.

Rants

To show how little interest I have in sci-fi look at this, X-Files was always a show that I wanted to like but I found myself struggling as episodes always came under one of two headings. 1) The ongoing plot which which featured conspiracies, the smoking man, Mulders sister, ufo's, aliens etc and then 2) The standalone episodes, these featured a creature or person with a mysterious power. I enjoyed the latter episodes, I despised the former.

Breakdown

Looks great Some solid moments Surprising depth Decent lead Some moments get old Not keen on the finale Some bits are very lackluster.

Refreshing! Serious Sci-Fi horror and suspense from the drop of the hat! Be warned, too love it, you need to think hard to understand the 3rd act!

[mhanna-09676 · 8/10 · 30 September 2023]

First off, yes the third act comes off as confused, like they didn't know how to end it but when you stop and put the puzzle together, it's brilliant! From the very opening scene, this movie built itself toward the conclusion. Her "model town" wasn't just a hobby but her fantasy...

If you are impatient and want to see aliens and have the action, you don't have to wait long, or almost at all. If you want SFX that are not budget breaking but very well done, you have it. For me, which I feel many will overlook, the most impressive part is a very strong story told without woods. The entire movie consists of 5 spoken words "I'm sorry, Maude, I'm sorry", yet as you can read, a lot of people understood the entire story.

One review stands out so I won't take credit for the explanation but it is exactly my thoughts when the movie ended; the aliens take over by injecting humans with a parasite. This parasite puts them into a trance where they are living a blissful life (docile and easy to control from here). Once the aliens finally get her and see into her mind, they see that in her mind, that's all she wants. No need to infect her when the rest of the town will become exactly what she wants anyway.

Also, as a creature fanatic I have to give a special shout for the multiple different alien designs! Wow! The large one doing the crazy moves/signals made my skin crawl!

Outstanding performance by Kaitlyn Dever! Have been impressed with her acting since Justified.

Unfortunately

[tchitouniaram · 7/10 · 1 October 2023]

But I have an absolutely opposite feelings towards this film , even though , I have given it 7 stars , probably , more positive than otherwise ... Firstly : absolutely terrific acting , main character portrayal is just plain brilliant , effects and action are superb , story is consisting in many parts of many films before , but up to the end , done pretty good . My problem is the ending ... the film itself was almost brutal , the ending should have been like a punch in a face , kinda like the "Mist" , instead we got overly philosophical and empty resolution... Anyhow , in comparison with many modern films , it is by far not the worst. Decent one time watch .

Frustrating viewing experience

[arndt-pawelczik · 3/10 · 24 September 2023]

Trying to be clever, original and deep at the same time, this film fails on all counts. A recluse with a dark secret falls victim to an alien invasion...or does she? Maybe it is all a metaphor? Or maybe it is both? Even after the ending of the film I was confused about that. But then, so was the film. What did not help was that the film very deliberately avoids using any dialogue. There is plenty of human grunting and alien chittering, but no actual words are uttered by the characters. Why? Because it is clever, original and deep? NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU has some well-filmed nightmarish sequences - hence the three stars - but remains a frustrating viewing experience, especially at the end.

The beauty of this home-invasion movie lies in its ability to allow the audience for dual interpretation.

[jaysonpajaronvistal · 7/10 · 9 October 2023]

"No One Will Save You" (2023) offers a fresh and unique take on the well-trodden home-invasion genre. Straying from the typical human antagonist, the film introduces an alien invader, adding an unexpected twist to the familiar narrative.

The film's concept of a dialogue-less movie is intriguing and successfully executed. The lack of dialogue throws the spotlight on the physical performance of the main character, played compellingly by Kaitlyn Dever. She skillfully communicates a range of emotions - awkwardness, guilt, melancholy, and fear - without uttering a single word.

In a story that explores themes of forgiveness and belonging, the narrative can be challenging to grasp for some viewers due to its thoughtful and contemplative nature. It requires patience and a willingness to delve beneath the surface to comprehend its depth.

The narrative is layered, with the first 30 minutes serving as a deceptive introduction to the complexity that follows. The plot unravels gradually, revealing unexpected depths and keeping viewers engrossed. The last 15 minutes of the movie are particularly impactful. The confusion experienced by the audience parallels the protagonist's own disorientation, culminating in a powerful and effective ending.

The direction of the movie is clever, with moments of brilliance that set it apart from other films in the genre. There's a clear inspiration drawn from "A Quiet Place," particularly in the minimalistic sound design that enhances the film's tension and suspense.

The film's lack of dialogue, far from being a drawback, elevates the viewer's experience. The protagonist's past is revealed through flashbacks, a refreshing and effective narrative technique in the horror genre.

The film's subversive approach may not appeal to all, posing challenging questions about the protagonist's worldview and the changes it undergoes, which are not easily answered.

------ SPOILER PART ------

The ending reveals that the protagonist's real danger was herself, a profound twist that enhances the film's depth. The aliens, initially perceived as threats, show empathy and acceptance, reflecting the alienation the protagonist experiences in her hometown.

The film's only dialogue, "I'm sorry, Maude. I'm sorry," provides intriguing hints about the story's essence. It alludes to a past tragedy that the protagonist is unable to forgive herself for, adding a layer of mystery to the narrative.

The film employs rich metaphoric imagery, with the aliens symbolizing the protagonist's guilt and grief over her best friend's death. This guilt invades her life, much like the aliens, tearing it apart bit by bit.

The scene where Brynn kills the first alien, mirroring how she accidentally killed her best friend, is a striking example of symbolism. It showcases the film's ability to convey profound meaning through actions rather than words.

"No One Will Save You" is a film that will linger in the viewer's mind, sparking discussions long after the credits roll. It is an innovative and thought-provoking addition to the horror genre, demonstrating the power of silence, symbolism, and physical performance in storytelling.

There are two ways to comprehend this

[asimosemimata · 7/10 · 25 September 2023]

From the beginning the viewer can understand that the character development would be deeper than one would have imagined for a movie of this genre. Her demons of the past were obvious 5 minutes into the movie.

In that sense I think that her journey was somewhat predictable as we all knew that she had done something terrible to her friend and the purpose of the movie stracture would be for her to have catharsis.

All in all, it was a journey of confronting her demons, fighting them, winning them but never seem to find closure as they kept coming for her. It was only after self acceptance and self forgiveness that she was able to move on and socialize again.

You can either see it as a huge allegory from start to finish or as an actual alien invasion. Either way the result is the same. Good movie, good pacing, amazing leading performance but somewhat weak third act due to the lack of dialogue.

A great take on an old trope.

[cmitche27 · 7/10 · 23 September 2023]

I really enjoyed this movie, great character piece wrapped around horror/scifi.

Ending felt a little out of place for me, but I get what they were going for there.

Ultimately this movie fits into a similar-to-M-Knight-Shamalan construct.

It has even / adequate pacing, you find yourself really caring for the lead and she plays the role very well. I buy her strength and her conviction and her pain.

Overall a good movie worth watching.

Of note on the critique side of things, at first I thought I love the audio mixing, but in the end I am not sure if they accomplished what they were aiming for with it. At times, during action it was great and intense, but overall some of the heavy sound effects and chatter got overused and it felt busy to me. Bit of a nitpick, but that's just the way I felt.

Close encounters of the dumbest kind

[ramonster_uk · 3/10 · 24 September 2023]

The "Horror, sci-fi, thriller" description convinced me to watch this, unfortunately this was not what was delivered.

I enjoyed the lack of a spoken script, wondering what was going on, why and where it was all leading to; No spoilers here, but it all went nowhere, slowly.

If you are expecting a movie that takes you on a journey and leaves you satisfied at the end....... prepare for disappointment!

I can think of similar movies that are far better than this one. Check out a movie called "Stephanie", a great example of how to do a movie like this and leave the viewer satisfied at the end, in fact, wanting more.

Surprisingly good

[Texinema · 8/10 · 25 September 2023]

This is a step in the right direction for modern horror. One of the better alien movies out there if you ask me. The atmosphere is great, sound design and VFX was dazzling and fitting. Acting was phenomenal. With almost no dialogue, the movie still managed to peak my interest throughout, and I wasn't sure where it would go next. There is a nice backstory that's woven in and unraveled throughout the movie.

It's a fresh, different interpretation of aliens and just when I thought they would leave a crucial element that I wanted to see out, it was included. I understand that this movie isn't for everyone, but I read many of the reviews and it's apparent that a lot of them were not paying attention or simply did not understand what was going on. I can't understand how you could be blind to the incredible acting performance, VFX, & sound design. These are things any serious cinema fan would hopefully learn to appreciate.

It really was a fun movie to watch. I love alien movies and have done some sound design in the past, so I suppose that makes me impartial. I just had to leave a review because many of the bad ones on here are laughable.

It's not the scariest movie, and there is almost no dialogue. It's an atmospheric, eerie, cerebral sci-fi thriller that offers a vibrant and exciting visual, auditory and psychological interpretation of aliens that I have not seen before, coupled with spectacular acting, and writing that leaves a healthy amount of room for your own interpretation. In my opinion, director Brian Duffield and actress Kaitlyn Dever have bright futures ahead!

Pretty fresh.

[salas_bravo · 7/10 · 23 September 2023]

I loved the newness of this. The ET design and theme is quite refreshing to the genre.

I would have appreciated an absolute lack of speech, I think it would have put the movie in a very empty space nowadays.

In regards to the main character, I found it very amusing to see someone who fights back, in spite of the horrific events happening around her. Her acting is solid, overall considering the loneliness and the lack of support that supposes another actor on scene.

The FX could have been better, but it is more than fine, IMO.

The movie is worth watching, there's no doubt it could always have been better, but it is nice to have something that new on the billboard.

Absolute junk

[michaelprescott-00547 · 1/10 · 3 November 2023]

First 20 minutes: half-decent setup.

Next 40 minutes: tedious, repetitive, unimaginative action.

Last 25 minutes: garbled, pretentious, incomprehensible third act.

Roll credits.

The scariest thing about this movie is that Stephen King liked it.

One thing Mr. King got right is that the film's premise is lifted from a dialogue-free Twilight Zone episode in which Agnes Moorhead battles mysterious aliens in an isolated farmhouse. The episode runs half an hour and has a satisfying twist at the end. This movie runs three times as long and the ending is garbage.

Nothing else you'll find here is original, either. The aliens are indistinguishable from many we've seen before. Images and tropes from the Alien franchise, War of the Worlds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Signs, and even E. T. abound.

Avoid.

It has everything you'd imagine after looking at the poster

[D-M-R · 9/10 · 22 September 2023]

Unfortunately, the film is out of theaters, and thanks to Disney's purchase of Fox, it's on Hulu, which means fewer people will see it. Streaming while creating a platform for freedom is literally destroying it.

This is the quintessential action thriller. The movie speeds up with every second, unfolding more and more scenes and plot twists that you could imagine just by watching the trailer or poster, not forgetting along the way to talk about the heroine and why her case is special, though obviously, darling, no one will save you but yourself!!

Great sci-fi! Thank you, Brian Duffield!!! Unbelievable flick!

Not a bad movie but kind of odd.

[desdun-32555 · 7/10 · 28 September 2023]

This movie is an interesting take on alien encounters. I personally am not a sci-fi movie buff, it's just not my thing, but this movie really intrigued me. It held my attention always making me wonder what's next. Somethings were silly but some where thought provoking. There wasn't much blood, no nudity, and no sex scenes which is one thing I loved about it. Also language was clean from what I remember all though there was not much talking to begin with. I thought that gave it an old movie feel. The graphics were actually really good. The movie did get confusing at times but it does a good job explaining most of it.

Films like this are why I watch older movies

[OldMovieRob · 2/10 · 28 September 2023]

First impression is that this one borrows VERY HEAVILY from other sources, namely far superior films like Signs (2002). Honestly, do yourself a favor and just skip this film and watch Signs instead. But if you want mediocre acting, absolutely no spoken dialog and generic CGI, then go with this one. The film also borrows elements from War of the Worlds (2005) and Quiet Place (2018), all far superior films. The protagonist of this film is living alone in a big house in the country and, wouldn't you know it, very persistent aliens keep showing up to try to abduct her. Lots of typical jump effects for predictable scares, and after an exhausting experience of running from the aliens.... spoiler time... they manage to capture her, read her mind, and then apparently let her live amongst alien-possessed humans, to which she gladly obliges? What on earth were they thinking with this one? It's like a demented variation of the ending of A. I. (2001) with a sole human survivor just content to live and dance with body snatched humans. Yeah, films like this one are why I need to stop watching modern films and stick with classics of the past. The further away I can get from this one the better.

Worth the verrrry long wait for the reveal

[lmoralescook · 7/10 · 28 September 2023]

Yes, this is a terrifying and tense film with aliens and jump scares. And yes, it's a story about survival. But my take on the movie is unlike many of the reviews here, which compelled me to comment. SPOILER ALERTS notice the physical size of the aliens, ranging from small to incredibly large. To me this means they took different approaches to reaching Brynn - the size of a young teen (same age as Brynn at the time of the traumatic event); a house-sized alien (scaled to the house where Brynn took refuge); mom-sized; taking the shape of her neighbors...They tried different ways to get her attention and communicate with her. That abduction was their herculean attempt to get through to her, to force her to deal with her grief and learn to accept herself. The high shot of various alien spaceships beaming to different places on the landscape is a cue that these aliens were addressing others who are grieving or filled with self-doubt. The scene in which Brynn met Brynn represents her self-inflicted wounds. That final scene, while it looks exaggerated to the viewer (us), reflects the profound shift Brynn feels within herself. Those aliens were like angels, not demons. The abduction scene even included a conversation among the aliens and their divine beings (they looked up for guidance). This is a unique film dampened not by the ending as others have suggested, but for the verrrrrry long path to get to the point. I'd watch it again, maybe fast-forwarding not through the alien interactions but the long beats in between.

A Interesting Take on the Alien Invasion Formula

[Rayve777 · 6/10 · 30 September 2023]

For a film that I had next to no expectations for going in, "No One Will Save You" is actually a pretty gripping sci-fi/horror thriller, despite its couple of crippling flaws.

The acting is generally pretty great throughout, with lead Kaitlyn Dever gives a great performance as reclusive social outcast Brynn attempting to fight off an alien invasion, especially considering how sparce the dialogue is. The most we get are panicked grunts, breathing, and screams, with only a few characters even getting full spoken lines. Unfortunately, this is kind of a double-edged sword, as the story ends up suffering, leading to the film having to spell out the backstory of Brynn during the last 10 minutes of the movie with a melodramatic flashback. While this backstory is hinted somewhat throughout the beginning of the film, it's brought up a little too sparingly to have any of the big eureka moment it thinks it has. It does lead to a rather amusingly dark ending which I did kind of like though, so it's kind of hard to judge.

The aliens themselves are a mixed bag as well, being a smorgasbord of different kinds of iconic extraterrestrials, seemingly taking heavy inspiration from the Alien franchise, as well as the mindflayers from DnD. They're introduced of having some sort of psychic/telekinetic powers which allows them to move objects with their mind as well as tamper with electronics, but in some situations they don't use them at all when fighting Brynn, deciding to charge at her and fight her melee style instead.

Still, I didn't regret watching this film, and I do recommend giving it a watching this spoopy season.

Close Encounters of the Unfriendly Kind

[fatfil-414-451797 · 7/10 · 8 January 2024]

Well, that was different, and not what I was expecting. A deeply strange movie, in more ways than one, and I loved it!

It does take a little while to get going, setting the atmosphere and back story. However the directors decision to have minimal dialogue in the film, (and when I say minimal, I can only recall a handful of words throughout) rather hinders that objective.

Without wanting to give too much away, the main character, Brynn, lives alone in a large house in the middle of nowhere. She is apparently a pariah in her local town, and it is believed she had something to do with the death of her best friend when they were 12.

Come forward 10 years, and one evening an alien enters her house and a cat and mouse pursuit begins. Needless to say it escalates from here quite dramatically. I did get some serious Close Encounters vibes, particularly when the aliens were trying to break into the house.

Unfortunately it seemed to lose its way towards the end. What started as a Si-Fi horror, ended up a bit mawkish and sentimental. If I'm honest, I really didn't understand the ending and it managed to out weird the rest of the film.

I was going to give 8*, but the ending just jarred with the rest of the movie, so a solid 7*.