A shut-in seamstress lives humbly and alone, selling dresses on her online shop for a living.
In her rustic house, she diligently paints and models her small-scale town and tends to her yard and home.
This is the life of Brynn, a hated outcast in her local community, pushed to the outskirts of society due to an incident long in the past.
However, Brynn’s simple, honest ways are soon interrupted violently by home intruders… from space.
From here, it only gets worse.
Her home is ransacked, doors and furniture thrown across the rooms in an untamed mess; the town is assaulted by a race of psychic space-lords.
Brynn’s entire world is thrown upside down, and throughout the film, she’s not only forced to face the physical threat of these monsters but also her struggle and traumas from her past.
Brian Duffield’s No One Will Save You is this year’s best horror flick, in my opinion. I feel as if 2023’s selection of scary films was rather lackluster, dull, and uninspired in many areas. However, this was not one of those films.
Theatres have been blessed this early October. I firmly hold the belief that even if it had been released in a more competitive cinematic market, No One Will Save You would still have been able to stand out as an excellent film.
Not only is Aaron Morton’s work on cinematography excellent, but Duffield’s writing and creative choices stand out from many other directors currently in the industry.
No One Will Save You is almost an entirely unspoken film, and, in my opinion, it not only works—it works well. Rather than an annoying gimmick, the premise of Brynn’s introverted, isolated life asks for nothing more than one or two lines of speech.
As a result, much of the film relies on Kaitlyn Dever’s facial expressions and body language, which she absolutely nails. Her performance as Brynn is what sold this movie to me. The close, intimate shots make you feel as if you are there with her in the moment, paralyzed by fear and holding your breath in a desperate attempt to save your life.
This movie, like every other, does, however, have a few shortcomings.
One of my few gripes with this film is how much it shows the alien creatures in its runtime. Seeing the impressive 3D graphics and creative character design is fun, but I feel as if it’s overdone. One of the reasons why the best sci-fi/horror films like Alien work so well is because the actual enemy—the aliens trying to gore you into a thousand pieces—is seldom seen.
As far as watching the actual film, the distributor, Hulu, gave the audience two choices: watch in the theatres or stay at home and stream it.
Other than convenience, this direct-to-streaming method of new film releases is not a trend I enjoy. I think the effects of this penny-pinching behavior are only going to harm theatres and cinema as a whole in the long term, but only time will tell.
There aren’t too many other issues I find with the film, but some may find it somewhat sluggish. Many scenes in this movie are shot long and slow, building an atmosphere of draining and tired reality. This works fine if you’re already captivated by the film, but for those on the fence, the pacing may make or break the experience.
Overall, No One Will Save You is an excellent watch, especially this season. In an era of droning superhero films and poorly spent movie budgets, it’s a nice breath of fresh air.