Personne ne sort d'ici vivant

No One Gets Out Alive: A ramshackle old home, turned into a boarding house is one of the main stars of this film. It's corridors and dark rooms contain creaks, cries and noises, suggestions that something strange is going on. We know from the prologue that the residence is connected to an archaeological expedition to Meso-America and artifacts from the mission are stored there. Ambar (Cristina Rodlo) is an immigrant, hiding her illegal status, exploited in a sweatshop, trying to buy papers. She moves into the boarding house and encounters ghosts. A tale of terror, exploitation and human sacrifice. Some good ghostly apparitions together with poltergeist effects. This is also a story of a struggle for survival in the physical and spiritual senses, both inside and without the house. Very much influenced by Meso-American mythology. Directed by Santiago Menghini, screenplay by Jon Croker and Fernanda Coppel, based on the 2014 novel by Adam Nevill. On Netflix. 7/10.

This was an unexpected gem. I went into it not having seen the trailer. It's a modern day gothic horror, except it takes place in a women's only boarding house in Cleveland instead of a mansion. The boarding house has a secret that is gradually revealed. The boarding house has gatekeepers that protect and hide those secrets. It has ghosts and supernatural elements, even some brief gore. Cool things happen in the shadowy areas of the frame to get the attention of the protagonist. She gradually uncovers the secrets piece by piece.

I thought the practical effects were very well made for a film with this kind of budget. I particularly like the eyes. Very nicely done. The CGI could have been better but I was happy that the film had an eerie mystery to be uncovered and it wasn't just another dumb jumpscare film. It has some jumpscares, but it isn't a main feature of the film. It has atmosphere, pace and tension. The symbolism of the butterflies had me wondering until the very end. Then I realized what their significance were. The director landed the ending very well.

I also felt the actresses all played their roles very well, especially Cristina Rodlo. This is definitely worth a watch for gothic horror lovers. I am not saying it will be one of the best horrors of 2021 or blow your socks off, but its not too shabby. I enjoyed it. I've seen lesser horror films with significantly larger budgets and A-listers and not nearly as creepy as this one.

For a small budget film, this one did very well. Dolby Vision HDR & Dolby Atmos is a plus! I've seen some other reviewers give this film a 1 out of 10 and calling it the worse of 2021. As a horror fanatic that watches 3 to 5 horror films a week, this film is far from scrapping the bottom like they are implying. I think they need to watch more horror films to be better judges.

Competent thriller/horror with folk horror overtones. Not groundbreaking in any way but nevertheless some very unique and interesting ideas. Great acting and sensational cinematography. The narrative kept the origins of the box murky which added to the mystery and suspense. The "house" was wonderfully imagined and contributed to the ambiance. A few traditional jump scares but they didn't detract from the film. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you haven't read the book, then this is a pretty good stand alone bog standard horror. It's creepy and original in parts but sadly, it captures none of the desolation and gothic pagan horror of the book.

Worst of all, the great twist at the end of the novel has been completely left out here, which is a massive let down.

If you've read the book, then you'll most likely be disappointed with this effort. Apart from the fact that it's not set in England in seedy bedsit land, with the whole seedy prostitution thing and unremitting hopelessness, but is taken to America (yawn) and pumped so full of Hollywood botox all the character and desolate horror is wiped clean out of it.

Shame. But then predictable. I'm hoping they remake it with a British production that captures all the mood and atmosphere of the novel.

If you didn't like the movie, go read the book. It's one of the best horror novels I've read.

Ambar is a young Mexican woman living in Cleveland; because she has no documentation she can't get a decent job or find anywhere to live for very long. After being forced to move she finds an advert for cheap accommodation; it is a rather rundown building and Red, the manager, is a bit creepy but with little else to choose from she moves in. She is almost immediately disturbed by strange sounds and nightmares. It isn't long before she is in real danger.

I didn't know anything about this film, or the book it is based on, before going onto Netflix looking for a sub-ninety minute film to kill some time. The premise sounding interesting so I decided to give it a go. The film might not be a classic but it is solid enough. The building, along with the creepy sounds, are nicely disturbing. The film has something to say about the difficulties faced by undocumented migrants that doesn't get in the way of the story or the scares. I admit to being a little disappointed when we learn just what is in the basement; the human villains were far more disturbing than what is down there. The cast is solid; most obviously Cristina Rodlo who impresses as Ambar. Overall a decent little horror film; perhaps not a must see but still fun for fans of the genre.