This is a slow burn, but you can predict within 20 minutes that the main character killed her girlfriend and is going insane/living in purgatory. This was disappointing to say the least.
17 Reviews
Stuck inside
BandSAboutMovies29 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Co-writers and co-directors Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks have put together a claustrophobic story that stays nearly all in one apartment as Charlie (Bennett) attempts to get her two-story Brooklyn apartment ready for the return of her erstwhile lover Simone (Emma Myles). Something has happened between the two of them, but from the positivity on the phone, Charlie is beaming.
That's when everything starts going wrong.
Shadows randomly appear. Voices are heard through the vents. The WiFi makes ordinary Facetime sessions demonic. Her mother (Barbara Crampton in a surprising and wonderful cameo) alternately throws vague praise her way or decides to condemn Simone as a witch. Random calls pepper the film, as a friend (Dora Madison) at a club begs her to finally leave the house. But when she finally goes outside, she can't. Her home is wrapped up tight - quite literally - and no calls to the landlord or 911 can change things.
While this film takes advantage of COVID-19 time filmmaking - Crampton and Myles appear on screens - it also allows Bennett the opportunity to shine as a performer, pushing the narrative forward all under her own power. As the walls start to close in, we see more of what may have happened between Charlie and Simone, there are glimpses of Charlie being shut out of artistic opportunities. There are photos on the walls that seem either embarrassing or emboldening of Charlie on the walls. And there's a man's name showing up on Simone's smartphone.
So is Simone coming back home? Is there even a home? Is Charlie going mad or is she already there?
Alone With You is playing Fantastic Fest along with Knocking, which tells a similar story of a trapped woman dealing with being haunted inside a small apartment. Both have their own way of telling the same story and it was really interesting to see where both films took their characters. And they end in such different ways...
That's when everything starts going wrong.
Shadows randomly appear. Voices are heard through the vents. The WiFi makes ordinary Facetime sessions demonic. Her mother (Barbara Crampton in a surprising and wonderful cameo) alternately throws vague praise her way or decides to condemn Simone as a witch. Random calls pepper the film, as a friend (Dora Madison) at a club begs her to finally leave the house. But when she finally goes outside, she can't. Her home is wrapped up tight - quite literally - and no calls to the landlord or 911 can change things.
While this film takes advantage of COVID-19 time filmmaking - Crampton and Myles appear on screens - it also allows Bennett the opportunity to shine as a performer, pushing the narrative forward all under her own power. As the walls start to close in, we see more of what may have happened between Charlie and Simone, there are glimpses of Charlie being shut out of artistic opportunities. There are photos on the walls that seem either embarrassing or emboldening of Charlie on the walls. And there's a man's name showing up on Simone's smartphone.
So is Simone coming back home? Is there even a home? Is Charlie going mad or is she already there?
Alone With You is playing Fantastic Fest along with Knocking, which tells a similar story of a trapped woman dealing with being haunted inside a small apartment. Both have their own way of telling the same story and it was really interesting to see where both films took their characters. And they end in such different ways...
It came down crashing hard...
paul_haakonsen10 February 2022
I stumbled upon the 2021 thriller "Alone with You" in 2022, by random chance. And with this being a movie that I hadn't already seen, and it having Barbara Crampton on the cast list, of course I opted to sit down and see what writers and directors Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks had to offer here.
And I will say that "Alone with You" started out quite nice, and it kept being interesting a good long way through its run time. But then the movie just shifted into the absurd and becoming very chaotic and disharmonious, and providing little sense to me. Sure, I was getting that this might be something about a foray into Charlene's troubled psyche. But it became really annoying really fast, and the chaos ended up taking away the enjoyment from the movie.
The acting performances in "Alone with You" were good, and lead actress (and writer and director) Emily Bennett really put on a great performance in portraying the troubled Charlene character. I was disappointed that Barbara Crampton was hardly in the movie at all, especially since I was looking forward to seeing her in a thriller.
Visually then "Alone with You" starts out interesting enough, slowly building up the suspense, but eventually the whole thing became too chaotic for my liking.
It was a shame really, because "Alone with You" was off to a great start and there was so much potential for a great thriller right there. But ultimately then directors Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks ended up delivering a movie that fell short of thoroughly entertaining me. Sure, the movie was watchable, but it was just too much of a scrambled and chaotic display.
My rating of "Alone with You" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
And I will say that "Alone with You" started out quite nice, and it kept being interesting a good long way through its run time. But then the movie just shifted into the absurd and becoming very chaotic and disharmonious, and providing little sense to me. Sure, I was getting that this might be something about a foray into Charlene's troubled psyche. But it became really annoying really fast, and the chaos ended up taking away the enjoyment from the movie.
The acting performances in "Alone with You" were good, and lead actress (and writer and director) Emily Bennett really put on a great performance in portraying the troubled Charlene character. I was disappointed that Barbara Crampton was hardly in the movie at all, especially since I was looking forward to seeing her in a thriller.
Visually then "Alone with You" starts out interesting enough, slowly building up the suspense, but eventually the whole thing became too chaotic for my liking.
It was a shame really, because "Alone with You" was off to a great start and there was so much potential for a great thriller right there. But ultimately then directors Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks ended up delivering a movie that fell short of thoroughly entertaining me. Sure, the movie was watchable, but it was just too much of a scrambled and chaotic display.
My rating of "Alone with You" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Getcha cliches he-ah!
olsonjoshuajohn30 September 2022
Alone With You is a film that makes you wonder how anything could be so filled with cliches. Are the creators that bad, or are they just ignorant and believe that the cliches they have assembled together here are innovations?
The standard isolation paranoid being driven mad cliches are all in place. Mysterious voices. Friends and associates manifesting bizarre behavior. And of course the concluding spiral to the revelation of the hidden guilt/fear.
Well these types of films can be enjoyable, (A Fantastic Fear of Everything starring Simon Pegg and the Wolf hour starring Naomi Watts come to mind) this feels like somebody lifelessly filled out a checklist while writing the script.
On the positive side there are a few nice shots that have no context or really place in the story in any way. They feel more like the director saying "look at my eye". And again, nice not beautiful. The lead performance isn't offensive but it doesn't stand out. They also managed to get an appearance from B-movie queen Barbara Crampton, which was legitimately a Skype call.
And that's about it for the positives. Negatives would be a severe lack of story, coherence, or originality. Also a 5-minute call from a drunk friend at a club. Yes it lasts for 5 wonderful exposition laden minutes. Yet somehow after taking the time for that in an 83 minute run time they managed to rush the ending, if you could even call it that.
This thing is a piece of crap. I watched it so that you wouldn't have to so don't.
The standard isolation paranoid being driven mad cliches are all in place. Mysterious voices. Friends and associates manifesting bizarre behavior. And of course the concluding spiral to the revelation of the hidden guilt/fear.
Well these types of films can be enjoyable, (A Fantastic Fear of Everything starring Simon Pegg and the Wolf hour starring Naomi Watts come to mind) this feels like somebody lifelessly filled out a checklist while writing the script.
On the positive side there are a few nice shots that have no context or really place in the story in any way. They feel more like the director saying "look at my eye". And again, nice not beautiful. The lead performance isn't offensive but it doesn't stand out. They also managed to get an appearance from B-movie queen Barbara Crampton, which was legitimately a Skype call.
And that's about it for the positives. Negatives would be a severe lack of story, coherence, or originality. Also a 5-minute call from a drunk friend at a club. Yes it lasts for 5 wonderful exposition laden minutes. Yet somehow after taking the time for that in an 83 minute run time they managed to rush the ending, if you could even call it that.
This thing is a piece of crap. I watched it so that you wouldn't have to so don't.
Don't be fooled
mrjohio19 February 2022
This was a disaster from the moment it started. Poor picture quality and poor acting. This movie is depicted as a thriller and it has no jumps nothing. After watching this film my wife was mad at me for wasting her Tuesday night.
VIEWS ON FILM review of Alone with You
burlesonjesse526 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"People are fascinating" Uh yeah. People are also cray cray or maybe tormented by an afreet.
So OK, 2021's Alone with You makes you feel "alone" while you watch it. No joke. As something about a woman who waits for her would-be girlfriend only to be trapped in her haunted abode, "Alone" is distant and dreamlike and cold and cutoff. The fact that the acting in "Alone" is pretty much a one-person show just enhances the experience. Kudos to Emily Bennett. The only other characters you see in "Alone" are on FaceTime screens, through pink elephants, or in flashbacks.
Alone with You is something Terrence Malick might've been drawn to right after his historical, war phase. How transfixing. The pic could be about schizophrenia or some sort of evil entity that settles in a female's narrow apartment. You don't quite know throughout yet "Alone" never fails to be unsettling and/or keyed up. I mean this vehicle had a couple of jump scares that just knocked me into next week. Call it a Black Swan "swan song" if you will.
Alone with You's directors (star Emily Bennett, Justin Brooks) bring psychological horror and psychological ruse to the table. They revel in cutaways, bloodied imagery, quiet grandeur, and inching, mind manipulation. What you are seeing is either the aftermath of liquidation, the afterlife of suicide, or both. You as the viewer interpret what you want and that's the beauty of this medium we have with reels and strips.
All in all, with "Alone" Bennett and Brooks could terrify you multiple times but don't. It's in reserve. Most of their scenes are either on edge, red herrings or something of the Hitchcockian flavor. I was teased one minute and then felt chills down my leg the other. I hope I'm not "alone" in this inference.
So OK, 2021's Alone with You makes you feel "alone" while you watch it. No joke. As something about a woman who waits for her would-be girlfriend only to be trapped in her haunted abode, "Alone" is distant and dreamlike and cold and cutoff. The fact that the acting in "Alone" is pretty much a one-person show just enhances the experience. Kudos to Emily Bennett. The only other characters you see in "Alone" are on FaceTime screens, through pink elephants, or in flashbacks.
Alone with You is something Terrence Malick might've been drawn to right after his historical, war phase. How transfixing. The pic could be about schizophrenia or some sort of evil entity that settles in a female's narrow apartment. You don't quite know throughout yet "Alone" never fails to be unsettling and/or keyed up. I mean this vehicle had a couple of jump scares that just knocked me into next week. Call it a Black Swan "swan song" if you will.
Alone with You's directors (star Emily Bennett, Justin Brooks) bring psychological horror and psychological ruse to the table. They revel in cutaways, bloodied imagery, quiet grandeur, and inching, mind manipulation. What you are seeing is either the aftermath of liquidation, the afterlife of suicide, or both. You as the viewer interpret what you want and that's the beauty of this medium we have with reels and strips.
All in all, with "Alone" Bennett and Brooks could terrify you multiple times but don't. It's in reserve. Most of their scenes are either on edge, red herrings or something of the Hitchcockian flavor. I was teased one minute and then felt chills down my leg the other. I hope I'm not "alone" in this inference.
Superb acting save this otherwise very mediocre film
manuelasaez10 February 2022
Let's get this out of the way; this movie isn't scary. At all. Creepy? Yes. Atmospheric? Definitely. But scary? Not even close. There are some elements that definitely are goosebump inducing if you are in the mood for it, but other than that, this movie is about as fear inducing as an episode of Ghost Hunters. Anyone looking to be frightened or even mildly creeped out by a movie should really look elsewhere. There isn't much to see here....
That being said, the acting is SUPERB. The entire cast is talented, delivered their lines believably and it seems like everyone had great chemistry. At times it didn't even seem like I was watching a movie. My TV was a giant window and the movie was me looking out through it. If more films took the time to really bring together a dynamite cast like this movie did, Indie films would be elevated to a much higher status.
To summarize; stay for the acting, but don't be surprised if the movie ends with you uttering, "MEH." loudly when it's over like I did.
That being said, the acting is SUPERB. The entire cast is talented, delivered their lines believably and it seems like everyone had great chemistry. At times it didn't even seem like I was watching a movie. My TV was a giant window and the movie was me looking out through it. If more films took the time to really bring together a dynamite cast like this movie did, Indie films would be elevated to a much higher status.
To summarize; stay for the acting, but don't be surprised if the movie ends with you uttering, "MEH." loudly when it's over like I did.
Overdone Horror Trope Done to Death... Again
yugidean16 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I have a high tolerance for overused horror tropes, but there's one I simply can't stand: when mental illness (or a psychological "break") is meant to explain all the bizarre goings-on.
To be fair, I've seen a few movies that have made this work well. "Alone With You" is NOT one of them...
Self-indulgent, repetitive for no good reason, and utterly lacking in any originality whatsoever, this movie takes that trope and says, "How hard can we beat our audience over the head with this idea?"
VERY hard, as it turns out. At every turn and in every moment, we are beleaguered by the writers/directors team who clearly cared very little about bringing something new to the table.
Worse, their kitchen-sink approach means we get all kinds of horror staples without any point or purpose. Lights flicker, shadowy figures pass by in the background, technology malfunctions, doors won't open, religion is shoved down a character's throat... None of it sticks together, and none of it has one iota of a payoff.
But worst of all (to me) is that this is all played off as a complete mental breakdown without any thought to how or why the character might perceive ANY of this stuff during a psychotic fugue. I'm not expecting reality here, just for the story to make sense. At all.
To be fair, I've seen a few movies that have made this work well. "Alone With You" is NOT one of them...
Self-indulgent, repetitive for no good reason, and utterly lacking in any originality whatsoever, this movie takes that trope and says, "How hard can we beat our audience over the head with this idea?"
VERY hard, as it turns out. At every turn and in every moment, we are beleaguered by the writers/directors team who clearly cared very little about bringing something new to the table.
Worse, their kitchen-sink approach means we get all kinds of horror staples without any point or purpose. Lights flicker, shadowy figures pass by in the background, technology malfunctions, doors won't open, religion is shoved down a character's throat... None of it sticks together, and none of it has one iota of a payoff.
But worst of all (to me) is that this is all played off as a complete mental breakdown without any thought to how or why the character might perceive ANY of this stuff during a psychotic fugue. I'm not expecting reality here, just for the story to make sense. At all.
Predictable but very well crafted.
approachingnecropolis18 September 2022
A very simple independent movie that effectively shows the downward spiral of a fragile psyche, that keeps you guessing even if some of its plot elements may be predictable.
I enjoyed the main character's portrait of a damaged woman, struggling with the relationships in her life.
Very nice cinematography and beautiful photography, accompanied by an interesting music score and sound design. No gore nor big budget effects, the film relies solely on its performances.
It's a movie worth watching if you like supernatural psychological thrillers, with a few horror movie cliches but full of interesting details.
I enjoyed the main character's portrait of a damaged woman, struggling with the relationships in her life.
Very nice cinematography and beautiful photography, accompanied by an interesting music score and sound design. No gore nor big budget effects, the film relies solely on its performances.
It's a movie worth watching if you like supernatural psychological thrillers, with a few horror movie cliches but full of interesting details.
Disturbing, Strong Acting
thalassafischer1 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I thought Alone with You was sufficiently disturbing because the main character is so confused and seems to be slipping in and out of a dream state. Of course, I know this is NOT how mental illness works - it would never be this detailed of a hallucination, nor go on this long, this movie is more of a vivid nightmare. If you can accept it as a vivid nightmare, it's really unsettling.
The situations that Charlie faces are all ugly - cheated on, rejected, trapped in her apartment and can't get out, and that horrific scene with the cat I could have totally done without.
Still, I would have given this movie a higher rating if there were some kind of explanation or sense of reality by the end. As it stands, Alone with You is totally surreal and open to interpretation.
Also, Charlie - the main character - is obsessed with this ugly, mean girl named Simone, that's one of the most irritating things about the movie. Her girlfriend (or rather ex-gf....or dead gf?) is weird looking and has a selfish, abrasive personality. So that makes the whole thing even yuckier, I wondered if that was intentional or if I just perceived the characters that way.
The situations that Charlie faces are all ugly - cheated on, rejected, trapped in her apartment and can't get out, and that horrific scene with the cat I could have totally done without.
Still, I would have given this movie a higher rating if there were some kind of explanation or sense of reality by the end. As it stands, Alone with You is totally surreal and open to interpretation.
Also, Charlie - the main character - is obsessed with this ugly, mean girl named Simone, that's one of the most irritating things about the movie. Her girlfriend (or rather ex-gf....or dead gf?) is weird looking and has a selfish, abrasive personality. So that makes the whole thing even yuckier, I wondered if that was intentional or if I just perceived the characters that way.
Let down
mrcowdenbeathfc10 December 2022
I was so looking forward to this movie as I'm a huge fan of the director . Well the acting is the worst I've ever seen and the leading actress made the film unwatchable and I had to turn it off . Every other word and I mean every other word was f this f that and it became just so so stupid that you have to question the directors education . I've looked at Facebook YouTube and Instagram and he also swears constantly and sadly has bought it to his films . I'll probably give up on him now as I've just tuned this garbage off after almost half an hour it's that bad. Almost human is sadly a distant memory.
Actually love films like this!, totally freaky.. psychological etc
michealsinger10 February 2022
Watched this on the off chance, and actually love psychological trippy films like this, some parts where genuinely creepy! I was watching it and felt creeped out in my own home, really really enjoyed it!
Thank you! 😊
Thank you! 😊
I liked it
thugwyfe12 February 2022
A Mental Masterpiece
vasuri-0243114 February 2022
A lifelong fan of horror films and psychological thrillers, I decided last June to put the pandemic quarantine conditions to work for me by taking the time at home to expand my knowledge base with the viewing of a new movie each evening. I'd follow up each screening with a "Movie of the Day" tweet on Twitter. In my search for something new to watch, I stumbled across Alone with You upon its release and I am so thankful that it crossed my path. This is a phenomenal film that checks off every one of my aesthetic boxes, an accomplishment that is truly rare in my experience. Emily Bennett is captivating in the lead role as Charlene, and skillfully uses minimalism and deep-seated psychology as the brushes and paints with which to create a mental masterpiece. I'll avoid spoilers and just say that the film kept me riveted right through to the closing credits. Bennett's acting is brilliant and the film is beautifully shot, with incidental sights and sounds being strategically placed for optimal creep factor. It is both unnerving and unsettling, as well it should be. Bennett and Brooks are a formidable writing/directing team and I cannot wait to see what else will be coming from either or both of them in the future. Easily one of the best films I've seen in a long while.
What a wild ride!!!
meghanroad4 October 2021
The best kind of horror film ride. Right from the start you're instantly thrown into this chaotic, thrilling world. It checks off all the boxes for executing a truly nail biting experience. I know I'm having a great time watching when I'm blocking my ears in anticipation for the next scare BUT can't pull my eyes away from the screen so I don't miss a second.
& the acting... SO good.
I highly recommend giving this a watch, you won't regret it. Well... maybe you will when you try to go to bed that night :)
& the acting... SO good.
I highly recommend giving this a watch, you won't regret it. Well... maybe you will when you try to go to bed that night :)
Best Indie Horror Flick in Years
darrencallahan24 October 2021
Lucky to catch this gem at it's LA Premier. Top notch performances, technically flawless, and very, very creepy. One great jump scare, but that's not what it's about. Definitely chilling and a good companion for classic women psychosis movies like IMAGES, THREE WOMEN, POSSESSION, DARLING, or REPULSION. It may be the best horror flick I've seen since IT FOLLOWS. Definitely seek this one out!
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