Written by: Brian Duffield
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever
Rating: [3.5/5]
Imaginings of what an alien invasion would look like have made for great movies in various genres where we can envision the horror or the action involved in extra-terrestrial beings landing on Earth. The inherent horror of it certainly exists and No One Will Save You delves right into it in building a wholly unique experience hinging purely on a lack of dialogue but plenty of chills down one’s spine.
Living alone in a home quite the distance away from others nearby, Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) gets awoken by what appears to be an alien invasion. As she attempts to fend them off despite their telekinetic powers, she realizes these aliens are not only impacting her, but also the other townsfolk.
Typically films centered on aliens have a group of individuals encountering the impact of these extra-terrestrial beings as they try to navigate how to protect themselves from it. This brings a sense of safety in numbers where these individuals work together for their survival. Going along with its rather ominous title, No One Will Save You presents a truly isolating experience as we see this traumatizing circumstance through the lens of one individual and one that barely says a word throughout the film. Quite the tactic to take on but one that ultimately pays handsome dividends in the uniqueness of the approach undertaken. From the isolated home to the general loneliness felt by the protagonist, explained in more detail later, it makes this alien attack on her specifically all the more terrifying.
As the film expands beyond just her home, the best bits the film has to offer occurs in Brynn’s home where she must hide away from these aliens and also try to defend herself as well. Each scene held in the house carries this inevitable dread of what will happen if these aliens find her, and the mysteriousness imbued from their presence continues to add to it. Within the dark passageways in the home displays the fear of what might be waiting for Brynn, where a place that used to signify safety now presents the most danger with these aliens looking for her. Within these scenes we receive some wicked sound design that further adds terror to these aliens and their looming presence around Brynn. Considering she does not speak because she’s hiding from them and the darkness of the night makes the use of sound all the more vital to inducing this fear and it certainly got the job done. These aliens sounded scarier than they looked and it genuinely had a tremendous impact on the viewing experience.
Outside of the experience with the alien, this feature also attempts to delve into the grief Brynn deals with after the passing of her best friend Maude and mother, Sarah. This grief also has a correlation as to why she has no real connection with anyone else in the town after a reveal that explains aplenty but touches on the overall thematic approach of this film. While it did have good intentions, this element of the film certainly served as its weakest spot where it did not have enough meat on the bones in order to fully flesh out what this meant for Brynn and how the aliens relate to it. Perhaps more time with it could have rendered better results, but it certainly does not detract from the overall quality of the film at-hand.
Coming at no surprise, Kaitlyn Dever shines in the lead role as Brynn where it presents another opportunity for her to test her range and deliver something completely different. Portraying a character who barely says a word throughout the feature necessitates for her to communicate through her facial expressions and the rest of her body, and she sold everything she needed to feel the anguish of Brynn throughout this film. The fear she exudes was palpable throughout where we felt exactly what she did and we remained in lockstep with this experience for her. Dever never fails to impress and she once again demonstrates what makes her one of the best young actors in the game right now.
Certainly quite the singular film experience, No One Will Save You tells an alien tale quite like no other in the singular nature of it in addition to how it films the scenes of these alien attacks. It comes across as equally thrilling as it is terrifying, making for quite the combination making for such an enjoyable film. Couple that with a tremendous lead actor and it only elevates the experience.
Films with Josh 
