You'll Never Find Me

This movie had the potential to be something amazing with the initial one hour that it takes to set everything up. However, in the end the creators went for a weak ending which didn't stack up to all the investment made by the viewers upfront. It almost seemed like theu ran out of ideas on how to end the movie and took the easy way out. The acting is on point and the tension is always there. The camera work and the lighting is also done super well. The ending for horrors or thrillers are hard to set up, but the disappointment becomes even more pronounced when the story holds a lot of promise upfront. This is such a case.

What a mixed experience this turned out to be! The writing constantly keeps you guessing for the first two acts, and the fantastic sound design and lighting choices add to the underlying mystique. The two lead performances are deliciously first-rate, making us question their inner motives with each passing scene.. at least for a good chunk of the film's first hour. The framing in these sections consists of several uncomfortable, unforeseen close-ups. But by the time it moves into the final act, a sudden wave of "oh no!" just takes over, replete with overblown edits and messy color patterns.

And to think, the same film effortlessly made me feel on edge during the initial (often philosophical) exchanges between the two characters, further deflates the experience overall. The woman character, especially, is oddly written. There are stretches where we as audiences are made to think she's harboring some dark secrets (or questioning if she's even a real person or just a manifestation?), and a little later, the same applies to the man. This leads to random jumps in character perspectives, albeit for short periods. Also, while the man's state of mind gets somewhat better detailing in the final act, the woman's side of things lacks a finite arc (..and was that even intentional?).

The challenge with single-location thrillers or Chamber Pieces (as they call it in cinematic term) is the scarcity of inciting incidents.

Due to the narrative being confined to a singular space with limited number of characters and resources, there is minimal room to expand or experiment

As a result, stories often become repetitive, caught in tiresome cycles. Only exceptional performances from the ensemble and a captivating script with impressive dialogue writing can elevate these elements beyond the anticipated stillness.

I'm pleased to report that "You'll never find me" possesses all of the above qualities and more.

The remarkable cinematography and stunning sound design immediately draw us in from the opening shot, The narrative style keeps us on our toes, with morsels of information prompting us to question the unfolding events. Not to mention, the dynamic between the two central characters maintains our interest until the very end.

There were indeed some moments of ambiguity in the storyline that mandated clarification, I still consider it to be one of the standout psychological thrillers that came out in the recent times.

Great first act of tension building and mysterious intrigue... starts to lose itself pretty quickly and by the final act it's a complete and total mess with zero resolve. There seems to be this recent trend of writers just completely unable to create an ending. In this case it feels a bit like they not only ran out of ideas, but budget as well- as the finale just ends up being a disjointed pile of cheap horror imagery. Great performances, and there's probably a movie in here somewhere that could have been great- sadly it just feels like it has no idea what it wants to be, and never recovers from the confusion. Ends up being a waste of time unfortunately.

Once again, a glorious reminder that in order to be impactful, horror movies don't need a big budget. "You'll Never Find Me" effortlessly proves this point, delivering a very tense and impactful experience that lingers long after the credits roll. "You'll Never Find Me" doesn't rely on cheap jump scares; instead, it builds a slow-burning tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This Australian horror gem is a testament to the fact that a well-crafted story, combined with thoughtful direction and a dedicated cast, can create an atmosphere of dread and suspense that rivals any blockbuster production. It's such a joy seeing a passion project work so well on all levels.