No One Lives

This movie is not what you think. Yes it is a horror (thats for sure), but it has a huge twist right near the start. I was watching this thinking "This is pretty good, story is going well". Then all of a sudden I was thinking "Wait! What the??". I don't want to give too much away, but the story changes tact about 10 or so minutes into the film, and I LIKED that a lot. The blood and gore factor in this is quite high too, which again I LIKED a lot. The movie was better than I was expecting for another WWE made horror, the last horror they made (Barricade) was below average in my opinion, but they've redeemed themselves a bit with this film. The characters were actually played well, especially the part of "Driver" played by Luke Evans. There were a couple of parts in the film that were cliché, but overall the film is quite good. So I give it a good 7.5 out of 10.

Many would dismiss this film because it comes from WWE Studios, and given that stigma, they would be justified in doing so.

The production company should not steer you away. No One Lives is brilliantly filmed and paced. The story is better than it has any right to be, and gorehounds will be very pleased with the sheer brutality presented.

Make sure to see this whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I've had my eye on No One Lives for a while and in that time I had forged good expectations for the film. What more could an avid horror fan want when such a solid cast gets paired up with one of the most interesting horror directors in the biz in Ryûhei Kitamura, known widely for his direction of the 2000 film "Versus" & more recently for his 2008 "The Midnight Meat Train". So it seemed the film's success would likely all come down to the quality of the script put forth by first time writer David Cohen.

This is definitely one of those films that is extremely hard to review without spoiling things, so I will stick to relaying the most basic plot line as possible. After botching their last job, a crew of merciless, degenerate criminals encounter a man(Luke Evans) & his girlfriend while eating at a restaurant. This spirals into a further violent meeting between the two which get's more interesting as we come to learn just where the real danger lies. The clash turns bloody as the balance of power shifts & the gore begins to rain down.

Of course it helps to keep in mind that this is in fact a horror film and that you're not going to witness any award winning performances, but there are some really solid efforts given by Evans as the "Driver" & Adelaide Clemens who plays Emma, a kidnap victim who has been hardened by long lengths of mental & physical torture. There are a couple of scenes that are sure to please the sickest of fans while at the same time may seem a bit on the gory side to the average viewer, but overall I felt this was a very enjoyable, entertaining vision delivered by Kitamura. He lays down a few subtle nuances early in the film that become clear to the audience later if you pay close attention, the best being revealed near the end of the film.

As for the downside of the film, there were some real snags in the script that I felt could have been changed and yes there are a few holes in the plot, most of which were used primarily as a vehicle to exploit certain plot developments. Or in one case to present one heck of a bloody surprise, you'll know what I mean after you see it;] Despite those problems, the film still managed to rise above the average effort, but I believe that it was those weak script points that hurt the film in theaters & the reason it may draw further criticism in the future.

So in the end,if you're trying to decide if this will be a good pick for your horror/gore itch then I can definitely recommend this as a top choice, but if you're looking for a smart thriller with a well developed story then this may not be your best choice, but I wouldn't let it stop you from grabbing it from your local DVD kiosk.

No One Lives is the type of movie that starts as many others and suddenly becomes something unexpected.

It is difficult to tell what happens without spoiling; but as in others Ryûhei Kitamura movies, there is no Good vs Evil but Evil vs Evil. If you never see any of his movies; get VERSUS before looking at this one.

Performances varies; Luke Evans is perfect; totally charismatic and captivating. Derek Magyar is terrifying as a psycho meeting his match. Laura Ramsey is pretty good as the other female characters; but Adelaide Clemens disappoints in a complex character far above her acting skills.

There is strong violence and gore but it never gets too disgusting (or at least too realistic) and are lots of dark funny moments.

When I am in the mood for a horror movie I usually want something with a non confusing plot, decent acting , and good pacing. Thankfully this had all 3. Yes there are some little small nit picks here and there but as a whole this is a good end of the working week Friday night movie. The story is pretty good but cannot be fully explained without spoiling it which I do not want to do. I will start with the gore level, this movie has gore but it is never over used to the point it is laughable unlike so many recent horror movies. The performances are pretty good I was only disappointed with a few line deliveries but I let them blow over my head. The pace was perfect in my opinion it sets up a good steady start, gets you asking questions and then the middle flows perfectly into the end you are never left sitting tempted to forward it onto the next death scene. All in all I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to be entertained for an hour an a half it is a movie you can switch your brain off and relax, If anyone has any trouble following the basic story then perhaps there at the age they shouldn't be watching it. Give it a try put your feet up and prepare to be entertained and satisfied as No One Lives does not disappoint!!