You Won't Be Alone

Normal movie goers will hate this for its slow pace, subtitles, lack of dialogue and its 'show don't tell' style of plot exposition. Fans of cinematic art will love it for the same reasons.

It wouldn't surprise me if this gets remade in the an English language version as the plot is unique and scary enough.

The director is obviously inspired by Terence Malick movies and the folk horror element is drawn from movies like Robert Eggers' The Witch.

I found this to be enthralling, surprising and one of the most inventive movies I've seen this year.

I've never heard of this one - but it's my first Macedonian language film, so I think I can be forgiven for that. As with the last film, I'm not convinced I have the right temperament for a horror film - but things worked out very well last time, so fingers crossed.

We follow Nevena who has a very boring childhood - promised to a witch as a new-born (and made mute at the same time), her mother brings her up in a cave until the age of sixteen when the witch reappears, takes the form of her mother and turns her into a witch as well. I mean, we've all been there, right?!?

Unfortunately, Old Maid Maria (the original witch) isn't too impressed with Nevena's witching skills - she prefers playing with the animals rather than breaking their necks and eating them raw (apparently that's what real witches do). This results in Maria leaving Nevena to fend for herself with no knowledge of the real world - which goes just about as well as you'd imagine it would. To start with anyway, but as time goes on she gets the hang of things and the film manages to conjure up a surprisingly emotional ending.

It's possibly a little too deliberate at times - some of the scenes certainly couldn't be accused of rushing things. For "horror" (it's not really a horror film at all, but it has some horror elements), it's very poetic and beautiful - The Guardian calls it spellbinding, but I can quite imagine that a lot of people would describe it as dull - for me it fell somewhere in between. It was very nice to look at and I was somewhat intrigued as to how it was going to end, but it really could have done with getting there a bit quicker.

It's a very atmospheric film with stylish visuals (and some very cool locations) and a sparse, yet effective soundtrack. It portrays a sense of wonder well - lots of things are being seen through Nevena's eyes for the first time and you get the mix of confusion and awe well. Overall, I'd say it's well written and shot (by Goran Stolevski) but maybe some harsher editing wouldn't have gone amiss - although it's not the sort of film that would benefit from being rushed.

However, because of that sense of wonder, the actors often don't have an awful lot to do other than gaze into the middle distance - Nevena is played by seven different actors across the film (if you include the baby!) and Sara Klimoska, Noomi Rapace, Carloto Cotta and Alice Englert all do a good job as adult Nevena so it feels harsh not to mention Petra Ciric Leontina Bainovic and Anastasija Karanovich as the other incarnations, even if they have less to do. The only other character we really spend any time with is Old Maid Maria who is played well by Anamaria Marinca, but she's rather disguised under tons of make-up (as a result of a rather unfortunate "burning at the stake" incident).

One last thing to talk about is the way that the witches shapeshift because it's really quite something - they take the guts of their intended target and shove them into a cavity which magically opens in their chest. I can assure you that would never have occurred to me, but I guess that just proves I'm not a witch!

WIkipedia tells me that it actually counts as an Australian film and was put forward as their nomination for the Best International Feature Film Academy Award. It also tells me it's shot in IMAX aspect ratio (1.44:1) - which feels like an odd choice but directors do odd things and we've had a lot less weird aspect ratios this year than we had last, so I'm considerably more tolerant of it!

All in all for me, I think it's an "admire" rather than a "like" (although I did like the ending), but is it a recommendation? Probably not to be honest - it has a lot to recommend it but I'm just not sure who'd really "like" it. But if you're in the mood for some fantasy/horror which gives you plenty of time to ponder the very nature of humanity whilst regaling your eyes with some beautiful visuals, then this is just the film for you and it's available to rent in all the usual locations.

Witch movies haven't always been my favourite subject. I find a lot of them too subtle and that they dance around the subject rather than going right at it. That isn't a problem in 'You Won't Be Alone'. The film gives us the viewpoint from their perspective and it is refreshing.

The film has some pretty messed up stuff in it. The opening scene really sets the tone for just how grim it is willing to get. It was tough to watch in certain parts but the film was certainly better off for it.

It is a little slow and is going to lose some people in that way. It's also not particularly scary horror if that is what you're going into it hoping for. It is a very clean and well made film though with a uniquely interesting and original narrative. 7/10.

Imagine what you'd do, living life without a clue, growing up inside a cave, a mother's one and only slave, until such time does come to pass, you're a fully grown up lass, but there's dust between your ears, years and years devoid of peers; then you're freed by an old maid, a sorceress has come to aid, taking you as an apprentice, the omens are truly portentous, she's a little overcooked, and her talons are quite hooked, quite a disaffected soul, you may well pay, a hefty toll.

Absolutely nothing to do with witchcraft or horror once you've peeled away the skin, but a magnificent and engaging exploration of the influences and effects that take their toll and shape your soul.

Dark, slow, disturbing, poetic, beautifully shot, tender, makes you ponder your existence, and one of the best portrayals of a witch I have seen.

Watched at Cinema 21.