John Hyams’ “Alone” begins kind of sketchy. In fact I spent the first fifteen minutes not quite sure where the screenplay was going, if anywhere. But sticking with it, I’m glad to discover that “Alone” is one of the best and most exciting thrillers of the year. While it does get off to kind of a sputter, it transforms in to a journey of self discovery and evolution for a woman who is shambles when we first meet her. By the end, she has to figure out if she can keep charging head first in to the world, or if she wants to recede back in to the night.
Tag Archives: Drama
I WeirDO (2019) [Fantasia Festival 2020]
A germaphobe meets the girl of his dreams who he follows to a supermarket as she steals chocolate while wearing a similar protection outfit as his. Together, they attempt to make their life better, or at least perfect for them as a couple, that is until something unexpected happens and changes one of them.
Life: Untitled (2019) [Fantasia Festival 2020]
A young escort is disillusion by life and her work, bringing the viewer into the life of an escort agency and its members, working escorts, drivers, bosses, clients, et al…
Sheep Without a Shepherd (2019) [Fantasia Festival 2020]
A husband and father will do almost anything to protect his wife and daughter after extreme measured had to be taken to protect themselves.
Baby: The Secret Diary of a Mom to Be (2019) [Fantasia Festival 2020]
A young woman about to climb the ladder in her career after years of hard work and effort finds herself pregnant unexpectedly. This delights her mother-in-law who begins a series of overbearing, meant to help actions.
Padmavyuha (2020)
Raj Krishna is a fantastic director, one who has promise to bring audiences entertainment with substance. While I’m never a big fan of films about religion and affirming religion, it’s a good change of pace to see a film like “Padmavyuha” that explore the complex and unique dimensions of Hinduism and how a man struggles with his core beliefs and his all encompassing faith.
Nothing But the Blood (2020)
Intentional or not, when you go in to “Nothing But the Blood” you’re bound to have flashbacks of “Red State,” as director Daniel Tucker seems to be sewing his narrative from the same cloth. Ideas about religious fanaticism, the deadly cost of religious institutions, and the hypocrisy of religious leaders are all here. Les Best even seems to spend most of his time on screen channeling Michael Parks. Daniel Tucker tries hard to establish him as a source of evil, even beginning the movie with a fourth wall breaking prologue as Best’s character reads a long sermon and angrily preaches to us.
Why this should set up the story I was never entirely clear but—it’s black and white, so it’s eerie…?