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!
360 Reviews
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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.
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.
Generic movie
nicholaslang-5488427 January 2021
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.
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.
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. :(
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.
Great performances, but terrible pacing
Top_Dawg_Critic20 September 2020
The directing by John Hyams was spot on, and the cinematography was excellent. Casting and performances were great, especially Jules Willcox. Even the score was fitting and not overbearing like most B-grade films
However, the normally 98 min runtime felt much longer with the very slow pacing and long/dragged out scenes. Considering there was little substance to the story, there was way too much filler, and pretty much zero character development of the two leads.
Much more could've been added to the story to have more suspense and intensity. Otherwise, this story has been told many times, and much better, and will be easily forgotten. As is, it should've been a short film.
This is newb writer Mattias Olsson's fourth writing credit - 2 prior shorts, and Gone, a full length feature Swedish film. Oddly, this film is almost an exact remake of the Gone, even using a Jeep in both films.
If it wasn't for this film's great performances, directing and cinematography, this would've been a flop, just like Gone. It's time Olsson expands his writing repertoire beyond Gone and this film. It's a generous 6/10 from me.
However, the normally 98 min runtime felt much longer with the very slow pacing and long/dragged out scenes. Considering there was little substance to the story, there was way too much filler, and pretty much zero character development of the two leads.
Much more could've been added to the story to have more suspense and intensity. Otherwise, this story has been told many times, and much better, and will be easily forgotten. As is, it should've been a short film.
This is newb writer Mattias Olsson's fourth writing credit - 2 prior shorts, and Gone, a full length feature Swedish film. Oddly, this film is almost an exact remake of the Gone, even using a Jeep in both films.
If it wasn't for this film's great performances, directing and cinematography, this would've been a flop, just like Gone. It's time Olsson expands his writing repertoire beyond Gone and this film. It's a generous 6/10 from me.
Much better than Unhinged and seriously competent heroine not Wonder Woman.
JohnDeSando28 September 2020
Starting my first wide release of the summer in a theater with Russell Crowe's bad boy in Unhinged menacing a single female in her car, I thought I had my mindless thrill about road rage. No, I found one even more thrilling and more mindful: Alone.
This action thriller has all the tropes a genre buff could hope for, only more. Not only is Jessica (Jules Wilcox) pursued by car by at first a nice but strange Man (Mark Menchaca), who in not nice at all it turns out. He ends up pursuing Jess by car and then foot in a forest of the Pacific Northwest in an unexpected conclusion with a twist new to the genre.
In both films, the heroines are smart, tough, but still believably endangered by bigger and ruthless males. In both cases the smart phone promises to make the heroines smarter than the men. Alone should satisfy feminists who like their women to be survivors, but not easily so.
In both films the women are single, with Jess having lost her husband to suicide, a point the villain plays on to Hannibal Lecter effect.
That reminds me: A victim along the way is played by Anthony Heald, who played the hospital head in The Silence of the Lambs (as I write about psychos like Hannibal).
Alone is not so much bloody or jump-scarish as it is about survival in a jungle of wackos like the Man. Although the photography is sublime (nothing photographs as lush and dense as the Northwest), the real action is seeing a gender we used to think vulnerable to men now going nose to nose and doing males better by thinking better.
Now "muscular" can be applied to a thriller with an intelligent, attractive woman heading the film. It's still best not to give in to road rage. It will come back at you.
This action thriller has all the tropes a genre buff could hope for, only more. Not only is Jessica (Jules Wilcox) pursued by car by at first a nice but strange Man (Mark Menchaca), who in not nice at all it turns out. He ends up pursuing Jess by car and then foot in a forest of the Pacific Northwest in an unexpected conclusion with a twist new to the genre.
In both films, the heroines are smart, tough, but still believably endangered by bigger and ruthless males. In both cases the smart phone promises to make the heroines smarter than the men. Alone should satisfy feminists who like their women to be survivors, but not easily so.
In both films the women are single, with Jess having lost her husband to suicide, a point the villain plays on to Hannibal Lecter effect.
That reminds me: A victim along the way is played by Anthony Heald, who played the hospital head in The Silence of the Lambs (as I write about psychos like Hannibal).
Alone is not so much bloody or jump-scarish as it is about survival in a jungle of wackos like the Man. Although the photography is sublime (nothing photographs as lush and dense as the Northwest), the real action is seeing a gender we used to think vulnerable to men now going nose to nose and doing males better by thinking better.
Now "muscular" can be applied to a thriller with an intelligent, attractive woman heading the film. It's still best not to give in to road rage. It will come back at you.
A small but kind of a good thriller
freddy_at_home2 October 2020
I had no expectations of this movie. I heard somebody talking about it, saying it wasn't all that bad. So we ended up giving it a go. We liked it, it is a small budget thriller with few actors in it, but it worked. You don't always need these big budget or the best of actors in movies.
I would recommend not seeing the trailer, as always. They just give away too much. Looking for an easy thriller, give it a try. 6.3/10
I would recommend not seeing the trailer, as always. They just give away too much. Looking for an easy thriller, give it a try. 6.3/10
Great film.
sherrybambino22 September 2020
Slow start, predictable and bad ending
lauraellenrichards24 November 2020
Make more like this
eventlaunch20 September 2020
Do you think you're the first one?
aarpcats26 February 2022
Scary enough for me.
If you have ever traveled alone in the middle of the night, this movie perfectly reflects your anxiety about the stranger in the car next to you.
This guy is the monster of nightmares. No supernatural powers, no CGI, just human evil.
If you have ever traveled alone in the middle of the night, this movie perfectly reflects your anxiety about the stranger in the car next to you.
This guy is the monster of nightmares. No supernatural powers, no CGI, just human evil.
Fine but forgettable
nehpetstephen19 September 2020
ALONE is a finely made film: the paranoid cinematography, languorous editing, and immersive sound design coalesce into an experience that is palpably nerve-racking at times, and the performances, albeit not especially outstanding, are perfectly believable. This film should satisfy you, more or less, as a riveting thriller, but it's doubtful that it'll stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
The story is, well, very simple--a classic cat-and-mouse thriller pulled from Serial Killer Plotting 101. There's a freshness to how the main character behaves quite realistically within every situation. She never falls for what's obviously a trap like many cinematic idiots often do; there's a sense that she's always doing what we would probably have done in the same situation rather than simply what the screenwriter thinks would be interesting. While such believability is, unfortunately, rather rare in movies, there's also nothing very surprising about it. From beginning to end, everything is quite predictable.
Unfortunately, whatever the film succeeds at in terms of behavioral realism, it fails at in terms of making the situations unfold naturally. The woods of the Pacific Northwest are quite massive, but the number of serendipitous run-ins in this story makes it seem like they're a couple of acres at most. The plot depends upon the characters always being within about fifty yards from each other, which is rather frustrating by the end.
What was more frustrating for me, however, was how weak the characterization was. The film never succeeds at making the two characters anything other than superficial ciphers in a very cliched serial killer plot, however realistic their behaviors and the actors' performances might be. The screenplay hints at some possible thematic meanings that a very generous viewer could possibly mine--likening the abduction to grief; comparing the will to survive with suicidal depression; the hint that you never truly know what's going on in another person's mind, whether that's suicidal urges or serial killer urges--but in the end none of these interpretations really resonate.
In the end, there's nothing to really recommend this film--nothing that really stands out--despite it being perfectly competent.
The story is, well, very simple--a classic cat-and-mouse thriller pulled from Serial Killer Plotting 101. There's a freshness to how the main character behaves quite realistically within every situation. She never falls for what's obviously a trap like many cinematic idiots often do; there's a sense that she's always doing what we would probably have done in the same situation rather than simply what the screenwriter thinks would be interesting. While such believability is, unfortunately, rather rare in movies, there's also nothing very surprising about it. From beginning to end, everything is quite predictable.
Unfortunately, whatever the film succeeds at in terms of behavioral realism, it fails at in terms of making the situations unfold naturally. The woods of the Pacific Northwest are quite massive, but the number of serendipitous run-ins in this story makes it seem like they're a couple of acres at most. The plot depends upon the characters always being within about fifty yards from each other, which is rather frustrating by the end.
What was more frustrating for me, however, was how weak the characterization was. The film never succeeds at making the two characters anything other than superficial ciphers in a very cliched serial killer plot, however realistic their behaviors and the actors' performances might be. The screenplay hints at some possible thematic meanings that a very generous viewer could possibly mine--likening the abduction to grief; comparing the will to survive with suicidal depression; the hint that you never truly know what's going on in another person's mind, whether that's suicidal urges or serial killer urges--but in the end none of these interpretations really resonate.
In the end, there's nothing to really recommend this film--nothing that really stands out--despite it being perfectly competent.
Solid Thriller
portal179021 February 2021
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