Alone (2020) Poster

(V) (2020)

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5/10
You will be thinking all the time who would do that?!
cintiaamoros5523 January 2021
This movie is just really hard to watch. A girl that just had a scary encounter and stops alone, far away from her car at a shady trucker pitstop. And this is not even one of the things that annoyed me during the movie. None of the characters make any sense at all how they behave. Besides how can you keep meeting the guy all over the woods? Just nonsense!
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6/10
watchable, but be warned
pronto196614 May 2023
This is a low budget film but the acting and cinematography are on point.

They did a great job making the bad guy look really creepy. In his first appeance on screen my wife says "Oh, that guy's got the serial killer look down".

The protagonist is likeable, carrying some emotional baggage, and even though she can't even figure out how to fit a houseplant into a half empty trailer, you'll root for her just the same.

If you decide to watch it, go in knowing that the protagonist will make idiotic decisions, over and over again. The kind of decisions you see in a slasher movie when the girl has to go see what the noise is in the closet after everyone else at band camp has been murdered. You'll see things coming from a mile away, but stick around to find out if it actually plays out the way you predicted.

But it's a b-movie thriller. What else are you going to expect? Half the fun of these kinds of movies is the exasperation that goes along with yelling "you idiot, don't go in there", and "ah, no way, that's bs" at your tv screen. Good popcorn flick for a sunday evening, and even better if you watch it with somene else to share in the frustration. :P.
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7/10
GREAT MOVIE!
frances_farmer021 September 2020
This one seriously kept me on the edge on my seat, which doesn't happen that often. It's a pretty 'simple' movie, in theory, but extremely well done. Anyone giving this a rating under 6 is just being jerk for no reason. Solid movie.
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7/10
Better than expected "serial-killer stalks lone woman" flick.
repojack1 October 2020
"Alone" is a rock-solid thriller. If you are a jaded horror fan, you'll scream "don't do it" multiple times, and mostly, your wish is granted. Very well acted and tautly paced, it is a worthy entry in the "serial abduction and escape" genre.
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7/10
this does stand out from the other films of this genre
markthomassintek24 September 2020
REVIEW - ALONE

Not another!

Yep

We have seen so many of these films recently where a female gets either kidnapped or chased by a nutter what could possibly make this stand out from all of the rest to make this your choice to watch?

Well actually it was rather good with the suspense building nicely throughput the film, yes predictable in places and slow in others but what made this for me was 2 very simple things.

1st, It's set in the real wild so rather than having an actor pretend to be in a forest in the middle of the sun shine this was actually filmed during one of the biggest rain storms so added that realistic element.

2nd, as we see in so many films the complete back story of every character is told just rushing what could have been a great film, answering every question by the end of the film but this film doesn't, you don't know why he is doing what he is doing, you don't know his back story and you are only briefly told the main female characters back story which is relevant to what is happening in the film so this film could concentrate on the story without rushing or explaining everything, keeping you guessing as to his motive or not.

So yes this does stand out from the other films of this genre and is one to see if you get the opportunity.

Rating 7 out of 10
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A Taut Exercise In Tension & Suspense
CinemaClown6 August 2021
Smart, suspenseful & straightforward, Alone is a lean-n-mean survival horror that employs the genre elements in effective doses to deliver a tense, thrilling & terrifying ride. Packing a simple premise and implementing a minimal approach to bring it to life, this sturdily crafted chiller also benefits from believable performances from its cast and is gripping from the get-go.

Directed by John Hyams, the film doesn't wait too long to introduce the villain, and is up-n-running with the main plot almost right after acquainting us with our protagonist. While the story doesn't break any new grounds, Hyams is still able to get plenty of mileage out of the basic setting & structure by keeping things grounded at all times and allowing the situation & surroundings to heighten the suspense.

The tension-building is carried out with precision by letting our anticipation come into play and the cat-n-mouse scenario that ensues once the scene moves into the wilderness only makes the ride all the more arresting. Jules Willcox aptly articulates her character's fear & predicament while Marc Menchaca plays the antagonist with stone-cold demeanour. Each scene between the two is nail-biting and both actors play their part responsibly.

Overall, Alone is an intelligently directed & brilliantly acted example of its genre that's more than aware of its strengths & limitations and is executed with such flair & simplicity that our investment in the story is almost instantaneous. It is efficient in its storytelling, calculated in its handling of elements and unrelenting in ratcheting up the nerves. Add to that, it is briskly paced, tightly edited and doesn't overstay its welcome. In short, a solid entry in survival horror subgenre.
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6/10
Minimalist thriller that mostly succeeds
jimbo-53-18651128 September 2021
A recently widowed woman is travelling across America when she finds herself repeatedly bumping into a mysterious man. However, it soon transpires that these meetings are not coincidental and the woman (Jessica) ends up being kidnapped and held hostage by this man. Jessica manages to escape, but this merely becomes the start of her problems...

With Alone what you effectively have is a good old-fashioned cat-and-mouse thriller and despite it, narratively, treading a fairly well-worn path it is quite effective at what it does...

Plus points with the film lie with the protagonist who is smart and confident giving us a strong persona to root for (the fact that she doesn't trust 'the man' right from the start was also refreshing to see from a narrative standpoint). Her bravery and resourcefulness make her a worthy opponent for the antagonist and one senses that he actually has some respect for her as the film progresses. There is also some tense moments (more so in the middle of the picture when the man is hunting Jessica). Of course, some suspension of disbelief is required to accept what you see here when Jessica is out in the open and is being pursued (one scene involving a tree trunk blocking a road is one such example), but for the most part it works and compared to similar films within the genre Alone does seem to be fairly grounded.

For the most part this film belongs to 2 actors; Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca and both do commendable jobs. The latter was already halfway there with the way he looked in the film, but he backed this up with a creepy performance as well.

Alone doesn't really have many surprises nor does it offer much that hasn't been seen before, but it does at least have a protagonist who isn't quite as cliched as many that have gone before her and there are plenty of tense moments in this minimalist thriller that mostly succeeds.
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6/10
I though it was pretty good
inkwarp19 September 2020
I didn't have any expectations coming to this. So, despite the somewhat formulaic plot the great direction, the top notch performances, ( particularly from Jules Wilcox), amazing soundtrack, all contribute to make this better than the sum of it's parts. It's incredibly taut at times and it never lets up. Definitely worth a watch. I'll be interested to see where John Hyams goes from here. a solid film and , owing to my nerves being shredded at times it's a 7/10 for me.
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2/10
Atmosphere and acting are good... Script is not
joshuavogel7912 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This film kept my adrenaline up because it is well shot, edited, and acted...

But it's also insanely stupid.

So many things make zero sense... This guy keeps finding her over and over and over and over and over... On the road, on the road, in the woods, in the woods, in the woods, in the woods.... Not only does it defy reason, it defies the rules of physics. This dude is just everywhere.
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6/10
This movie suffers from the biggest thriller cliché
geefrail14 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is good but sadly it suffers from the biggest thriller movie cliché. An all knowing hyper intuitive kidnapper/murderer who seemingly knows where his victim is at all times despite nearly impossible odds and no explanation on how he does it. He lacks this mystical ability for a couple of moments to further the plot.

Honestly, we had this magic superpower with Freddy, Jason, and Michael. They're at least supernatural beings. This? This is just lazy writing to create a false sense of security once the viewer thinks the protagonist has an opportunity of getting away. You can make the argument that this person is an expert tracker even though they never eluded to it in the movie. It's honestly just another cheap thriller.

6/10 because the movie is still pretty good and the acting is phenomenal. Just cut this hyper intuition BS out. It's over played and lazy.
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2/10
Really would you do that??
ymitchell444616 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Sit at a truck stop in the dark to smoke a cigarette ALONE while some strangers following you? Why did she not just smoke in her car like she was doing from beginning no way no how this makes any sense they lost me after that..
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8/10
Low budget suspenseful n tension filled thriller.
Fella_shibby17 October 2021
Everything in this movie has been done umpteenth no of times but the fact that inspite of this the movie managed to create ample amount of suspense n tension throughout.

The guy who played the stalker indeed looked n behaved very creepy.

The lead actress gave a decent performance.

This movie reminded me of Hush (2016) n other low budget 90s thrillers.

Good to see Anthony Heald aft a long time.
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7/10
Realistic story of survival that holds to the end
Dahbeed28 September 2020
I enjoy survival movies because I like to put myself in the situation - how would I react? What would I do? This movie is very believable, especially from a female perspective. The heroine, Jessica, is not a "superhero" nor is she a victim. She isn't "blond, buff & twenty" like most of victims portrayed these days. Instead, she is your sister, daughter, friend - just a regular youngish (30?) woman, moving from one place to another, pulling a U-haul behind her much used car. Same for the "man." Average looking, even a little common looking - exactly the kind of guy you see everyday at the store or gas station. Their "meeting", too, is an event that occurs a million times a day all over the world. As I watched this, I found myself thinking, "I've done that..." Don't get me wrong, this isn't a feminist film at all. The movie keeps your interest simply because it is so believably realistic - Jessica and the man act and react like one would expect - not like a character in a script. And the ending, though violent, dirty and degrading, was not how I expected this particular story to end. Definitely worth watching.
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2/10
Too illogical
phebychow11 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The story is too weird! A few things that I can't believe! 1) Is it that easy to search a girl in a forest right after she jumps from a river. That man will keep murmuring while catching the girl. 2) instead of escaping, the girl decides to go back kidnapper's boot for hiding. She even calls 911 while kidnapper is driving. 3) the kidnapper insists driving the car even being beaten up and stabbed, still not stop driving... Is he in hurry to go somewhere? 4) instead of calling 911, the girl will call kidnapper's wife in the end, OMG
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7/10
Take your shoes...
jimwaldothefirst16 March 2021
If you learn anything from this movie, take your shoes.

It is a journey that may keep you on the edge of your seat... or screaming at the TV There's a few times you just think; Why, What, How?

It could be a rough watch for some people.

Its one to watch and maybe learn from...
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7/10
Love the ending sequence
incubus-091431 January 2021
In the beginning, I was a bit frustrated because the heroine doesn't really take any precautions although she has a feeling that this creepy guy has been following her. I get that she has some issues with her mother, but maybe not calling 911 yet, but talk to your family about what's happening in case when something actually happens. Certainly not hanging up with your phone when this stranger who's been stalking you is about to approach you AGAIN! Keep talking so that he has to think twice before he does anything (because he wouldn't wanna let the other person on the phone know something fishy going on especially if he is a serial killer, don't you think?).

Someone wrote some parts of this film is not plausible and I partially agree with the reviewer. It's uncanny that the heroine and the killer miraculously encounter many times in this seemingly vast woods. However, you'll forget these small claims once the heroine gets captured. The story starts moving with a good pace from then on.

I knew this girl wouldn't give up. She is a survivor! She even reminded me of the scene from Predator (1987) at one point lol. At the end where she decides to face this psycho killer once and for all, it gets really good. I even rewound the scene and watched it again. The way she stands while holding a crowbar, man! It even has an atmosphere of Samurai movies: you resolve to kill your opponent or you'll die. It was pretty cool. I didn't expect that coming. It is so good that you'll overlook any minor flaws of the movie.

There are tons of movies like this one for sure, but don't stop watching even if you feel like you've watched this kind of movie before. The ending is pretty redeeming. Oh, one more thing. What I learned from this is to bring a gun with me if I travel alone across the states.
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6/10
I love survival movies but this one is just not good
Just-A-Girl-1413 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, it's been done before but frankly I don't care. I can watch this story a million times just as long as it's good. This one is not good and here is why. First, the beginning of the movie is kinda boring. There's a woman, she's driving somewhere with her belongings. We get there's a backstory but we don't know what it is. Second, she meets this weird guy over and over again. It doesn't seem he is following her so how do they meet again and again? We don't know. Who is he? What's his problem? Where is he from? No clue. We get it, he's the bad guy. She gets a weird vibe from him too but does she write the license plate number? No. Does she tell anyone about him? No. Does she stay on less remote roads? No. Does she call 911? Eventually yes, but only when she's panicking (with no reason) and doesn't know where she's at (and obviously there's a bad signal). Then she is kidnapped by the guy. This is the point in which we need to really care about her, but why would we? We know nothing about her and she doesn't seem to be very smart considering she's clearly stalked by the weirdo. Then she escapes. I loved what she did with the key and I loved that she jumped in the river. This is the part we need to see some survival skills or at least good instincts but somehow the only one with good instincts is the guy cause he keeps finding her over and over and over again. Is it a forest or a garden? If she was on foot and he was a good tracker maybe, but once she jumped in the river, it should have been it. The Robert character was an interesting addition cause so far there are no other characters and honestly these two can't carry the movie all by themselves. Unfortunately, despite having a gun, he gets himself killed almost immediately. Why was the road even blocked? Are we supposed to believe this guy had time to plan this and cut down a tree? Please! No way. Bad luck maybe? Who knows. Then she does the dumbest thing ever. She gets into the guy's car. Seriously? Who would do that? Then she overpowers him and gets the knife but does she stick it in his neck? No. She gets him in the arm. The car flips over, both survive because... well, why not. Then she gets the phone and calls this guys wife! Not the police, not her parents. Nooo! She calls some woman she knows nothing about. See a motif here? Let me give you a hint: dumb, dumb, dumb! It's hard to care for someone that stupid but whatever. The movie is over anyways after the most ridiculous fight ever considering she got shot, he got stabbed and both were in a car accident. The fight and a lot of the movie was well shot but the script sucks! Watchable? Yes. Good? NO!
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7/10
solid woman-in-peril
SnoopyStyle20 March 2021
Jessica (Jules Willcox) loads up her U-haul and heads for the open roads. She lost her husband and continues to be haunted. She's leaving the city and her life behind. She keeps encountering a man (Marc Menchaca) driving an SUV. She's suspicious and indeed, he is stalking her.

This could have been more exploitative. He tells her to get undress but she never does. It's still not far away from its B-movie sensibilities. Her escape is too easy. That trick is so commonly used that it has become a trope. Also it's too convenient for the man to search for Jessica in exactly the right direction. Now if she had screamed before then, it would make much more sense. All in all, this is a fine woman-in-peril movie. The river swim actually looks dangerous. The water looks very rough. Most of this works well.
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1/10
Generic movie
nicholaslang-5488427 January 2021
Ned Flanders goes off the rails. Generic movie set in a forest. Must do better than this,
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6/10
Please. Ladies. Don't be like this woman!
zdfjyrb15 July 2022
I spent most of the movie saying: Why would she do that?

Why didn't she tell anyone?

Girl...don't say that! Don't tell him that!

I wanna root for her but at this rate..nah.

Maybe my mom taught me how to travel safely as a young lady...and this girl just didn't know. But I hope everyone watching learned WHAT NOT TO DO! Ahhhhhhhh!

Ok. Aside from that, Not the worst thriller I've watched this summer. I'm just still SO MAD AT THIS CHARACTER, it was hard to enjoy the movie being so upset with her choices.
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4/10
Almost good, but then such STUPID decisions. WHO DOES THAT? SERIOUSLY, WHO??? :o
midnitepantera31 July 2021
Pretty decent acting, creepy atmosphere, creepy dude creeping after her in his car, then she starts doing one stupid thing after the other and my eyes started to glaze over and roll up in my head. I wanted to SMACK her upside her Stupid head. Almost worth a watch If they would have written out the stupid parts. :(
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8/10
Marc Menchaca, a name to watch.
RatedVforVinny23 April 2021
The actor Marc Menchaca is cast perfectly as a deranged killer and is worthy of all the plaudits. Although this movie has been done countless times , it's still wrought with tension and the first part plays like a modern version of 'Duel'. If it proves one thing, it shows you can make seemingly fresh, vital movies from such well worn material and although already typecast, Menchaca plays just about the sleeziest creep, you would pray never to meet for real.
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6/10
Stay Away From Strangers
stevendbeard19 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I saw "Alone", starring Jules Willcox-Dirty John_tv, Snake & Mongoose; Marc Menchaca-Ozark_tv, Homeland_tv and Anthony Heald-X_Men:The Last Stand, The Silence of the Lambs. This movie is a remake of a 2011 Swedish movie called 'Gone'. Jules plays a recently widowed woman that is moving away from the city to the country to help soothe her pain. She has a few run ins with Marc-innocently at first-but she soon decides that he is probably stalking her. Sure enough, he drugs and kidnaps her and she wakes up inside an isolated cabin in the woods. She escapes and is in the process of trying to get someone to help her when she runs into Anthony, a hunter. Can he save her? Does she trust him? Or should she just stay away from any strangers, altogether in the future, that is, if she survives this encounter? It's a pretty standard movie, which was made in 2018-I read the end credits-so it's 2 years old. Oh yeah, maybe it's just me but Marc Menchaca reminded me of Jason Sudeikis with a bushy mustache. It wasn't rated but it contained violence and language and has a running time of 1 hour & 38 minutes. I don't think I would buy it on DVD but it would be alright, as a rental.
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1/10
A plotless and boring stupidity
martingraws30 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A random guy we don't know anything about chases a random girl, the movie is completely plotless and boring, also is totally nonsensical the girl is kidnapped without water or food for days and is still able to run and fight, best part is when the girl is shot by a powerful rifle probably a .308 in the shoulder and nothing happens to her. Completely ridiculous, a waste of time and money.
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6/10
It has plenty of suspense, but.......
steveorr-015995 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is very watchable and is not overly long. The suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat, but some of it is due to stupidity.

I hadn't thought about how she had the strength to fight at the end despite no food and being shot, but this is definitely major.

My biggest pet peeve was when he was burying the hunter. First off, going to the car in the first place is an endgame move. There is no sneaking away. Considering he had the rifle, I would have gone the other way. Secondly, if the keys are in the ignition when she opens the door, it will chime. Game over. Finally, assuming she could really get into the back without him seeing her (no way), did he really bury the guy and leave the shovel right there? He would have had to go to the back first to put it away.

The movie had some good points, but many things that could have been improved. 8 or 9? No way.
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