Here Alone

The narrative of a horror film does not have to have Bullitt's Mustang at full throttle every second or blood and gore fogging up the movie or TV screen. Films about people, how they survive, move forward, or at least try to do that are, for me, ultimately more interesting and more moving. With spare details to go on and information during flashbacks about the female protagonist, Ann, and her family (Jason and their baby) filling in, you are left to use your imagination about how an illness not named decimated the United States. Ann has been on her own for a year when we meet her and we watch her daily routine just to stay alive and away from creatures who were once human. Eventually, she meets two other survivors who fill up some of her loneliness, but inevitably with human beings and all of their quirks and hidden emotional turmoil, events shift rapidly.

If you can't watch stillness, listen to the sounds of nature, and let yourself be immersed, you won't be able to watch this film. Just know it's the stillness and beauty of the remote area juxtaposed with some horrifying moments that brings out the intensity of trying to survive day by day in this post-apocalyptic world. The actors who bring these characters to life are strong, mostly because they seem like real people, not actors trying to "be" real people. I cared about all of them and enjoyed the ride immensely.

Short review here as most other reviewers have covered the film in detail. I will just say that the entire film was gripping and brilliant. The performances by all involved were some of the best I've seen in this type of film: completely organic and believable.

That is, until, the final 15-20 minutes of the film. The ending, and the events directly leading up to it, are so obviously an attempt by the filmmakers to subvert the audience's expectations, that the whole plot takes a drastic turn toward the impossible. The final actions of all 3 of the main characters are completely out-of-character with everything we had seen up until that point.

Therefore, all of the goodwill the filmmakers built until then is completely lost. As such, a film that could have easily been a 9 to me has now become a very low 6.

For those considering watching this, don't bother. The emotional investment you'll gladly share in the first 2 acts does NOT have a payoff and you'll end the film completely disappointed. What a shame and what a waste.

This genre bender is tough to categorize. While the setting is post zombie-apocalypse(ish) this is certainly no horror or scifi film. Even drama doesn't really fit.

What it is:

A solid bit of cinematography on a low budget.

Reasonably well written with believable characters.

Well acted by all 3 of the main characters.

What it isn't:

Well paced. While the writer and/or director was obviously aiming for a slow burner this smolders briefly before going out. The plot is simplistic...survive.

Interesting. While it is(in my opinion) believably written, the biggest threat in the zombie-apocalypse seems to be death by boredom.

Engaging. While the characters are reasonably realistic, I really was hoping some zombies would show up to relieve the monotony.

Enjoyable.

All things considered, I cannot specifically state that this is a bad movie...it's just not a good one. I can't say I really regret seeing it, but I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on it either.

Ann is surviving alone in the woods during the zombie apocalypse. She's no Ripley, but she's not a scream queen either. Holing up in the woods of upstate NY was the idea of her survivalist husband in an effort to save them and their infant child (ominous tone). But Ann isn't a strict adherent to her husband's survivalist tutoring, shown especially when two uninfected strangers show up and present an immediate tension in the rationing of the already meager supplies. But also the tensions of three people living alone in the woods. The Road meets No Exit.

A nice touch to this movie, besides the slow reveal of the outcomes of the rest of Ann's family, is how there doesn't need to be a clear sign of zombie for the first half hour or so, merely suggestion and peripheral sightings. But the movie doesn't hold off from seeing the monsters for too long to make their absence distracting. The film doesn't quite cash in on its interpersonal tensions by the end, but overall an intriguing effort.

People who call this slow paced probably have the attention span of a crumpet or didn't really feel like watching a movie like this. The movie was fine, no wonder I don't trust imdb ratings anymore. This isn't an action packed fanservice zombie movie, it's a sad story about a woman who feels guilty for surviving.