He Never Left

This is really good. I was pleasantly surprised. The writing is not bad.

The main character is troubled and having flashbacks. Police are looking for him for grand theft auto and a hit and run. Maybe more? His friend Carly is helping him get the hotel and food, but she is not staying with him as she has her own life.

He is waiting for someone to arrange things for him-waiting patiently in the seedy motel. It will take some time. He hears a woman screaming in the room next door. He tells Carly about what he heard when she brings him breakfast and she admonishes him for not helping, but what can he do?

Things quickly go from bad to worse very fast. Not just at the hotel, but for Carly too.

He Never Left is a welcome addition to the Witching Season Films cinematic universe. The character design for Pale Face is exceptional, hitting all the right notes for a slasher. Colin Cunningham is masterful in his role, striking a delicate balance between pity and disdain for a character you'd want to avoid at all costs in real life. Jessica Staples delivers a standout performance, bringing raw emotion to her role and leaving you genuinely heartbroken for her character.

James Morris and Sean D. Hunter provide much-needed levity without making their characters seem incompetent-no easy feat, but one they execute flawlessly.

As a long-time fan of the work James Morris and Michael Ballif produce, He Never Left is another shining example of what makes Witching Season Films so significant-not just within the horror genre, but also for the Halloween season. Everything they create feels like a love letter to the genre and to the season that inspired it.

I'm eager to see what Witching Season Films releases next. I hope they never stop creating. No other filmmaker has managed to transport me into the heart of Fall and Halloween like Witching Season Films does with their short and feature-length films.

Seeing the 8, 9, 10 ratings and reviews I couldn't not express my view of this film.

I guess technically it was mediocre. The plot was intrresting and could have worked.

What canceled out any positives were the preposterous breaks in continuity.

Every time the dialog negated what was established moments earlier was physically jarring.

After the 3rd or 4th total break in the established story, I just could not take it anymore.

I stopped to write this half way through.

If you watch this, you will know what I'm talking about assuming you follow what has been established.

Literally mind boggling.

This is not a slasher...it is something more. It is a fantastic character study, executed with a stylish sense of filmmaking whilst bathed in Halloweentime ambience. The writing and presentation recall a time when horror films (thrillers, if you prefer) were just as much about mystery and intrigue as they were about shock and schlock. He Never Left has all of this to offer in spades, plus a few surprises along the way. The wonderful Witching Season Films family never fails to impress, with James Morris masterfully manifesting the macabre mise-en-scène both behind and in front of the camera, beside Michael Ballif, who poignantly paints each frame in dual roles as cinematographer and editor and never allows the same motel setting to get stale. Randin Graves' score is composed with as much compelling, calculating complexity as the performances from Jessica Staples and Colin Cunningham who evoke unrelenting empathy as David McMahon and Charla Bocchicchio meanwhile offer quiet quirkiness to round out a truly classy cast. Also true is that this film may not go the way you want or expect, but it stands currently as an antithetical to so many of its contemporaries in the zeitgeist and if it doesn't find massive success now, it will certainly find a cult of its own in due time.

In a town that's plagued by the memories of a killer in a mysterious pale mask, the setting takes place primarily in a small motel, where a wanted criminal has decided to post up from the police. Quickly you find out that not all is right in this motel as things begin to reveal themselves.

Actors give a solid performance that helps sell the uncomfortable uncertainty of this modern slasher.

The color grading, as well as the Halloween aesthetic, make for the perfect setting during the spooky season but doesn't limit this to a seasonal watch.

Simply, this was a beautifully shot, well acted, thrill ride.