He Never Left

This was a blind purchase primarily based on the artwork, granted I did read the synopsis and thought to myself this seemed promising.

Sadly it was not the case, it took a lifetime to get going, I will tip the hat to Colin Cunngham who plays Gabriel, he certainly brought his A game to the proceedings, but I found myself thinking, did his performance belong in another movie.

Strangely the artwork at first glance reminded me of The Town That Dreaded Sundown but as far as thrills and chills go, it was quite a numbing experience and storyline wise it was all over the place.

Proceed with caution.

This is a film I brought based on the description at the same time as heart eyes and hoped in a similer vein it would be just as good. Unfortunatly though I was very wrong. This woman called carley goes to a motel, but smuggles her boyfriend in the trunk because his on the run from the cops because of murder. The guy running the place seems a little creepy but not a whole lot really happens here in terms of horror. This becomes more of a thriller and any attmept at horror is null void. The mask however was creepy enough. Acting not the worst ive seen in these typs of films either. I was just overall let down by this one.

The best parts of the movie were the fall colors as the car drove through parts of Utah on the way to the motel. Carly has Gabe in the trunk of her car, as Gabe is a very wanted man. Carly pays for three nights at the motel. For almost the rest of the movie we are regaled with a very paranoid driven Gabe, who has to stay out of sight in the room. There are some flashbacks which fill in some of the background. There is some use of jump scares, and also seeing people that are not there. There is a scene where the motel manager tells Gabe that Carly's credit card didn't go through, something about the address being wrong. The last act seems a bit rushed and incoherent. But do stay for the credits, as much is revealed, and it also seems this movie got some crowdfunding. But this movie is best forgotten, and even not viewed.

Witching Season Films has knocked it out of the park with their second feature film He Never Left. I was a fan of the series The Witching Season and their first feature They Live Inside Us. When I saw the Indiegogo campaign I knew I had to back it! That was a couple of years ago and let me tell you it was worth the wait!

The premise deals with Gabe on the run from the law and hides out in a motel in a town where a serial killer known has Pale Face disappeared decades ago. Only, Gabe is not alone in the hotel and Pale Face is making a long awaited return. I'm not giving more than that because you need to watch this!

This movie had everything you could want in a slasher film and while it has a different approach the film never loses its goal which is to give you an emotional and visceral experience.

Everything works on all levels. The filmmakers went to great lengths to give you a movie that feels right at home in your annual Halloween viewing. The cinematography is top notch and the colors just ooze October.

The music is first rate and has that 80's vibe which is always a plus. And it compliments a lot of scenes as well while adding depth of emotion in certain parts.

I could not have been more happier to have watched this!

While I had never heard about this 2023 horror movie titled "He Never Left", from director James Morris, of course I had to watch it as I stumbled upon it here in 2025, given my love of all things horror.

From the movie's synopsis, I was figuring that I would be in for a masked slasher type of horror movie, but instead I found myself in for a supernatural horror movie I guess, as there was a lot of imaginary things going on apparently. And truth be told, the writers James Morris, Michael Ballif and Colin Cunningham, with the latter also starring in the movie, failed to pen down a properly entertaining script. I found the narrative boring and uneventful, and I struggled to keep feigning an interest in it, but it was a losing uphill battle.

I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and that was actually a nice thing, as I enjoy watching unfamiliar talents and faces on the screen. And despite of the script being a swing and a miss, then I will say that the acting performances were fair.

As for "He Never Left" being a horror movie, well, don't get your hopes up. Perhaps if you are a newcomer to the horror genre then you might find this movie scary. But I have been watching horror movies for more than 40 years, so this was a mere walk in the park. And a boring one at that.

Semi-watchable, sure, but "He Never Left" was not a great movie, not even by a longshot. It was a struggle to sit through, and it is definitely not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time. Nor is it a movie that I will recommend to horror fans.

My rating of director James Morris's 2023 horror movie "He Never Left" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.