“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” - Aristotle Onassis
The stories set in a single location can often be some of the most creative kinds. With such limited space it necessitates a natural need to be as innovative and interesting as possible. In Panic Room, a woman half asleep must face assailants hell bent on robbing her and potentially harming her and her daughter. She’s not a spy with a special set of skills and no fear of death. She’s tired and bitter from a prolonged divorce. In her darkest moments she is forced to find the strength within herself to protect what is most sacred to her. With no weapons and a limited amount of basic household supplies she must get inventive with what she does have if she is to have any hope of defeating her newfound home intruders. In 10 Cloverfield Lane it’s the imagination of what could be happening at the surface that creates a surge of paranoia and fear. Combined with a clearly unstable individual and you have a recipe for disaster, and damn good entertainment.
No One Will Save You is about the most extreme example of individualistic strength, perseverance and truly overcoming the odds that one could possibly imagine. Beyond the ultimate need to survive as is any human’s instinct is the question raised by past mistakes about whether a person is worth the effort of trying to survive in the first place. As the main character Brynn faces a physical challenge unlike anything she thought possible she must confront an inner turmoil having to do with a past incident that left some she was close with dead. As the most chaotic night of her life plays out she must question if she even wants to withstand the very real nightmare plaguing her very sanctuary.
Brynn is independent. She is a single woman living on her own in the rural U.S. Despite being perfectly capable of taking care of herself, she finds herself desperate for human contact. She’s lonely and with extreme anxiety and a divisive reputation in the small town she lives near, her odds of making friends or finding a significant other are slim to none. Still she persists, even when her encounters can become deeply upsetting and even confrontational.
On an unremarkable night in her isolated residence she is awakened by an intruder. As she approaches the threat she begins to realize this particular invader is not what someone might call your average burglar committing a B&E. From the instant her reality sets in she is in absolute peril. The town locals want nothing to do with her and she has little in the way of self defensive weapons at her disposal. To see the morning and beyond she must dig within the deepest recesses of her soul to find the strength and ingenuity to combat the greatest foe she will ever face. And she must do so completely and utterly alone. As her enemies close in and she is tasked with undertaking such unimaginable obstacles, her inner demons plague her mind and cloud any clear thinking she desperately needs in order to fight and hopefully come out victorious. Brynn is in for the fight of her life in just about every conceivable way possible.
Playing Brynn is Kaitlyn Dever. Having been in many movies and television series she has demonstrated her abilities as an actor for most of her life. I first noticed her in Justified as the feisty Loretta McCready and have been a fan ever since. She was a force in Short Term 12, a comedic powerhouse in Booksmart and stands as an equal with George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Ticket to Paradise. In No One Will Save You, Dever demonstrates her ability to be a formidable physical presence with virtually zero dialogue. She must convey fear and strength and isolation through her facial expressions and physical endurance and she is absolutely brilliant as a woman alone and in immeasurable danger. She has never been more convincing that she is capable of carrying a movie squarely and confidently on her shoulders. She is a force to be reckoned with and what a thrill it is to watch her fight with everything she has.
Set almost entirely within a rural, two story farmhouse, the choices are limited for the lone character. Watching her find things around the home to fight with and facing her past to save her future is pure thriller entertainment. From the moment things take off it rarely lets up until its absolutely bonkers ending. And this is where things might become a bit divisive for viewers. I for one was on board and ready to go in any direction it was willing to take me. And when I say it takes you in a completely bizarro direction in its third act is the understatement of the year. It’s crazy every step of the way but it’s also very confident in where it’s taking us and why it’s doing so. If you can accept it for all the weirdness it has to offer, No One Will Save You is one of the best thrillers of the year.
Rated PG-13 For: violent content and terror
Runtime: 93 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Zack Duhame, Dane Rhodes, Dari Lynn Griffin
Directed By: Brian Duffield
Out of 10
Story: 9/ Acting: 9.5/ Directing: 8.5/ Visuals: 8.5
OVERALL: 9/10
Buy to Own: Streaming on Hulu now.
Check out the trailer below: