No One Will Save You
This inventive, low-budget sci-fi thriller barely lets up the tension during its tight 93 minute runtime – but the engrossing central performance from Kaitlyn Dever, the fact that the film is almost entirely dialogue free, and the daring ending make this an impressively original movie.
Premise: Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) lives an isolated life in her childhood home on the outskirts of a rural town, apparently ostracised by the local community. One night, she’s awoken by a strange noise, and discovers an extraterrestrial intruder in her home…
Review:
The idea of a dialogue-free movie could very easily feel like a showy gimmick – but in the hands of writer/director Brian Duffield, it fits the character and the setting perfectly. Brynn, as played to perfection by Kaitlyn Dever, lives on her own and is totally isolated from her local community, so during the movie’s early scenes, it makes perfect sense for her not to say anything. Then, when the extraterrestrial excrement hits the fan, it again feels entirely organic for her not to say anything – even though we may have been conditioned to expect characters in movies to narrate their every thought (“That looks weird…”, “What was that sound…?”, “I have a bad feeling about this…” etc etc).
It's not a spoiler to say that this movie very (very) quickly moves from being a straight-up ‘home invasion’ thriller to become an overtly sci-fi horror film, as the first appearance of the alien happens about 10 minutes into the 90 minute movie. This film features the return of the classic Roswell-style ‘grey alien’ archetype from the alien abduction stories, which I feel we haven’t seen in many mainstream movies since the heyday of The X Files in the 90s. Here the classic design makes a welcome return, in a manner that feels suitably menacing and intimidating – and surprisingly effective given the movie’s relatively low budget (not that the film ever feels ‘cheap’).
“…packs plenty of surprises into its short runtime…”
The film is told entirely from the perspective of Brynn, meaning that Kaitlyn Dever is on screen almost continuously for the full 90 minutes. Following her breakthrough performance in Booksmart, Kaitlyn Dever has taken on a variety of roles ranging from the dramatic to the more light-hearted (like last year’s Ticket to Paradise), but here she gets the opportunity to deliver a much more visceral, physical performance. Her portrayal of Brynn not only makes you forget about the film’s lack of dialogue, but she carries the audience with Brynn through the film’s many twists and turns.
Speaking of which, No One Will Save You packs plenty of surprises into its short runtime. The movie doesn’t skimp on the tension and suspense, but Brian Duffield (who previously wrote the entertaining and underrated 2021 film Love and Monsters) seems more interested in taking the audience to unexpected places after the movie does what you might be expecting it to do – so by the start of the film’s second act, I really had no idea where it was going to go next. The final act may not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s no denying that it’s a bold, daring and original denouement, and one that sticks with you long after the end credits.
“…a surprisingly inventive & original sci-fi thriller…”
The film’s not scary enough to really be considered a ‘horror’ film, but there’s certainly a strong sense of tension throughout that keeps you on the edge of your seat. But really, this is a showcase for the “less is more” approach to filmmaking, with the fleeting glimpses of the alien and the almost non-existent dialogue only serving to heighten the suspense. All in all, No One Will Save You is a surprisingly inventive and original sci-fi thriller that isn’t afraid to take some risks, and is all the better for it.
