NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU – Review

Wow, can you believe that Halloween will be here in just over five weeks? Oh yes, it’s time to get in the mood with a creepy thriller mostly set at night but stretches well past dawn. Okay, we’ve got some of the essentials for a modern “chiller-Diller”. There’s a big house near the woods, far away from any neighbors. Check. Its sole occupant is a single young woman. Double check. Naturally, there are eerie shadows passing by the windows at night, accompanied by strange noises. Yup, a hat trick! Must be a distant cousin of Jason or Michael. Let’s put the brakes on, because this menace is much more sinister…and otherworldly. Now if he (or it) could “use its words”, I’m sure it would utter a variation of this dire warning to the home’s solitary occupant: NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU.

This modern “terror tale” begins in that swell country house just at the edge of a forest at around daybreak (much like a Thomas Kincaid painting print). It’s another quiet morning for twenty-something Brynn Adams (Kaitlyn Dever), the only resident of the place. Strolling into the front yard, coffee in hand, she notices an odd bare spot in the lawn, resembling a crescent. Strange, but not as weird as her postman, who tosses a big box at her mailbox (nix on a porch drop off). Seems pretty cruel. At least its contents weren’t damaged. It’s the newest miniature shop addition to her expanding tiny toy town display. Then it’s off to her sewing machine to finish a dress, wrap it, and stuff it into a large manilla envelope. With that and another package, she drives her SUV to the main street of her “picture perfect” nearby village. Oh, but there are no friendly waves or “hellos” from those on the sidewalks, only stares and hushed comments. After popping her mail in the boxes in front of the post office, it’s off to the cemetery for a picnic lunch…at her mother’s gravesite. When Brynn notices some mourners gathering down the trail, she quickly gathers her basket and drives home. Following writing a letter to her old friend Maude, a few minutes practicing ballroom dancing to an old LP, and a nice dinner (with plenty of vino), it’s bedtime. Brynn’s slumber is soon interrupted by odd noises and fleeting shadows across the windows. These aren’t caused by kids pulling a prank, or burglars. The silhouette in the moonlight reveals the outline of a creature she’s never seen. This “thing” takes out the house’s electricity, shuts down the car, and disables the phone (yes, she’s got a landline). Can Brynn evade it or will she have to fight for her life? And what if it’s not alone?

What may seem like a very simple story is elevated by the bravura performance of the gifted Ms. Dever. Though she’s recently made a name for herself in the area of light comedy (“Last Man Standing” on TV, BOOKSMART and ROSALINE on the big screen), Dever builds on the dramatic gifts she spotlighted in early works like SHORT TERM 12. Mind you, she was a terrific “team player” in those efforts and has a few supporting players here, but this is foremost Brynn’s story. She’s in almost every scene and Dever confidently carries the film, drawing us into the sheltered life of this young woman. In the opening scenes, Brynn appears to be a quirky eccentric with interests more fitting of a person two or three times her age. Miniatures? Ballroom dancing? But from Dever’s wide eyes and bright smile, she conveys the joy these unique hobbies bring her. It’s not until the “outsiders” intrude that her inner struggle begins to seep in. Brynn appears to be content in that big two-story house all to herself until she leaves the driveway and gives a hesitant wave to a neighbor, who merely sneers. How will she ever get a dance partner? Brynn’s a woman of mystery until she’s thrust into the role of “scream queen” and “action heroine”. Dever superbly shows us the panic in her eyes, soon tempered with her survival instincts. We can almost hear her brain going into overdrive, pushing past the raw shock, and scrambling for weapons or a hiding spot. Coupled with Dever’s athleticism we’re made to feel as though we’re sprinting right alongside her, as she encounters each new threat. Oh, and she does this with perhaps only a handful of words.

That’s right, there are only two or three lines of dialogue in the whole film, essentially making this a modern “silent movie”. Imagine the Best Picture Oscar winner THE ARTIST mixed with the classic Twilight Zone episode “The Invaders”. Plus there’s a big element of mystery at the story’s core. Just what happened to make Brynn an outcast, a despised pariah, in this Mayberry-like burg? And this backstory isn’t ignored once Brynn’s fighting for her life. It all comes together smartly thanks to the script and direction of Brian Duffield, in only his second feature (after several screenplays). Sure, there are “jump scares”, but they feel “earned” and not cheap tactics to keep us awake. Also, the unexpected twists and turns in the plot keep us guessing from scene to scene. Luckily Mr. Duffield has enlisted an army of talented craftspeople, from the sound crew to the special effects team, to the skilled art department who have enhanced the classic look of the aliens (culled from years of “abduction” testimonies) and made them the “stuff of nightmares” (these are some evil ETs). All abetted by the cinematography of Aaron Morton and a riveting music score by Joseph Trapanese. Some may be put off by the lack of dialogue and the big “open for interpretation” finale, but those last moments should spark some interesting post-viewing conversations. That won’t happen outside the multiplex, unfortunately. Like two films that premised on this app last year, PREY and BOSTON STRANGLER, NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU is most worthy of a theatrical release. Catch it now, then perhaps savor it with some leftover candy as Halloween dies down.

3.5 Out of 4

NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU is now streaming exclusively on Hulu