Susan Granger’s review of “No One Will Save You” (20th Century Studios/Disney/Hulu)
‘Tis the time for horror movies – and the best of 2023, so far, is Brian Duffield’s “No One Will Save You,” released directly to Hulu.
What makes this sci-fi thriller unique is its lack of dialogue. There are only five words spoken during its suspenseful 93-minute running time.
Still mourning the death of her mother, Sarah, and best-friend, Maude, a guilt-riddled, traumatized young woman named Brynn Adams (Kaitlyn Dever) lives alone ‘way out in the country and is seemingly shunned by everyone in Mill River, the nearest town.
One night, she awakens to discover an unearthly intruder in her home. Terrified, resourceful Brynn defends herself against the chittering creature’s ability to utilize telekinesis, resulting in its demise. But soon she’s pursued by its alien cohorts who place a parasite in her mouth, causing her to hallucinate. To tell you more would ruin its effect.
Written, directed and produced by Brian Duffield (“Spontaneous,” “Love and Monsters”), revolving around the theme of self-forgiveness, it was filmed by Aaron Morton in Slidell, Louisiana, in a house that was built in the late 19th century which production designer Ramsey Avery filled with clues about Brynn’s backstory, like her intricate, idyllic dioramas.
Visual effects producer Sarah Miesen noted that the depictions of alien invaders are based on archetypal drawings done in the 1950s by people who either claimed to have had close encounters with flying saucers or to have been abducted and psychically probed by extraterrestrials.
And sound designer/mixer Chris Terhune collaborated with composer Joseph Trapanese on the complementary audio elements.
Just three days after its release, novelist Stephen King posted this Twitter endorsement: “NONE ONE WILL SAVE YOU – Brilliant, daring, involving, scary. You have to go back over 60 years to a TWILIGHT ZONE episode called ‘The Invaders’ (1961) to find anything remotely like it.”
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro posted: “I couldn’t think of a more perfect movie for your weekend.”
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “No One Will Save You” is an intense, ambiguous 8, streaming on Hulu.
