"No One Will Save You" Took Me Completely By Surprise

I stumbled upon the film No One Will Save You while I was browsing Disney+ last night. Since I had watched the first two episodes of Alien: Earth, it popped up on my recommended list. I skimmed through the description, looked up some reviews and decided to give it a try.

I had no idea what I was in for and never would've guessed this film would give me nightmares. It is one of the best alien movies I have seen in a long time.

The film focuses on an isolated young woman named Brynn who has been ostracized from her hometown (for reasons I will not disclose here). She lives alone in her parents home on the outskirts of town, creating a quiet, sheltered life for herself where she can enjoy some semblence of peace while avoiding contact with the community. Despite her self-induced isolation, she seems relatively content: Her home is tidy, well-cared-for and adorable in my opinion. She is a seamstress and makes a living that way, a talented cook and craftswoman. Her life is simple, but pleasant enough.

We can tell through her brief interactions with neighbors and letters she writes to an unknown woman named "Maude," that Brynn clearly has a troubled past. We assume she is seen as a villain in the eyes of her community, but we are not given the full picture until later in the film. For the first 15 minutes or so, things are tense, but normal enough.

And then one night, our protagonist's world turns upside down.

An other-worldly home intruder appears, terrorizing Brynn over the course of the night. We do not know its intentions nor do we have any idea what it is capable of. All we know is, whatever this extra-terrestrial creature is, it is powerful and terrifying.

I will not give anymore details away about the plot of the film at this time—if I do, I've already given away too much. Instead, I want to point out some of the things that make this film truly unique from a cinematic and story-telling perspective.

First off, the most surprising and effective tool used in this film was the lack of dialogue. I only realized none of the characters had uttered a single word about two thirds of the way through the film. Brynn is the only character who eventually does speak, and when she finally does, she only whispers five, impactful words: "I'm sorry, Maude. I'm sorry."

The decision to exclude dialogue from the film was genius, and the fact it does not affect the film's pacing is incredible. The story never felt slow or boring, nor did it ever feel rushed or sloppy. Without any dialogue, it pulls the audience right into the fray with Brynn. Like her, we find ourselves running from the monsters, trying to stay as quiet as possible, fighting back when we can and keeping our heads on a constant swivel. Without any words, every tense situation, jump scare or silent threat ignites and stokes a feeling of unprecedented terror inside that is difficult to shake off, even by the conclusion of the film. Like I said, it gave me nightmares.

Another incredibly effective element utilized in this film is the isolation imposed on Brynn's character, literally, narratively and figuratively.

From the very beginning of the story, we know Brynn is isolated physically. She chooses to live alone in a house outside of town and she keeps to herself most of the time. But as we dive deeper into her past, we know this isolation is more than a choice—Brynn is constantly carrying the weight of exile on her shoulders. She never speaks to anyone, and no one ever speaks or has any desire to speak to her. Further, we are lead to believe she has no family in her current adult life. No partner, no friends, no comradery of any kind.

Given the alien threat Brynn faces, this lack of kinship creates an intense feeling of doom. Brynn and the rest of us know, even with aliens on their doorsteps, her neighbors will not listen and will not help her. While many of us would be quick to call 911 if there was a home intruder, let alone an unearthly intruder, Brynn knows her call for help might not be answered and might even be ignored. It is a tragic and scary realization we share with her that she is forced to face the danger alone, and it is ironic her home was the first to experience an alien encounter. If the community had embraced her rather than rejected her, she might have been able to warn everyone before things got worse.

Overall, I would give this film an 8.5 out of 10. The premise of the film is a tricky one to get right—an alien home invasion might otherwise come off as corny or unrealistic. But No One Will Save You intregates a tragic story of misfortune and loss into a gripping sci-fi thriller beautifully. We understand and relate to Brynn, and she is far from a dumb horror movie klutz. She is resourceful, courageous and fierce, unwilling to leave her home defenseless, be backed into a corner or easily killed. Kaitlyn Dever's performance is capitvating and we are rooting for her to the bitter end.

If you haven't yet seen this film, I highly recommend giving it a chance. Settle in with some popcorn and friends, turn off all the lights and dedicate an hour and a half of your time. I promise it will not disappoint.