A Fresh Take on Alien Invasion: No One Will Save You Review
In the new thriller No One Will Save You, writer-director Brian Duffield takes a unique approach to the alien invasion subgenre. While he doesn’t reinvent the wheel, he blends elements from past interplanetary incursions to create an intense and allegorical film.
Brynn’s Haunting Isolation
No One Will Save You introduces us to Brynn, a young woman living alone in her family home in the deep woods. She rarely interacts with others, except through letters to her deceased friend Maude. It becomes evident that Brynn may be connected to Maude’s death.
A Terrifying Encounter
One night, Brynn discovers an intruder in her house who turns out to be an otherworldly being. She manages to fend off the initial attack, but soon finds herself battling a growing horde of alien invaders.
Tension and Cinematic Brilliance
Director Brian Duffield skillfully creates tension by focusing the camera primarily on Brynn, bathed in a captivating blue light. The alien invaders, portrayed as classic gray creatures with black eyes, are mostly seen in shadow. Cinematographer Aaron Morton deserves credit for capturing the eerie darkness while maintaining visibility during the action.
Derivative and Laughable
However, as the film progresses, Duffield’s reliance on homage and inspiration from films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Signs, Fire in The Sky, The Faculty, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers becomes overwhelming. The suspension of disbelief is strained when Brynn engages in hand-to-hand combat with one of the aliens. The plot and thematic choices regarding Brynn’s grief and guilt become laughable, breaking the spell of the film’s first half.
Dever’s Silent Performance
“Dever is a wonder, giving an almost silent film-style performance.”
Despite the film’s flaws, Kaitlyn Dever delivers an impressive and nuanced performance. With minimal dialogue, she relies on her expressive eyes to convey Brynn’s emotional journey as she mourns her friend and faces unimaginable terror.
Mixed Results and Unintentional Laughs
As the film introduces more aliens, the initial terror they evoke starts to fade, giving way to unintended humor. Duffield misses the mark in maintaining the sustained tension seen in classics like Jaws. It’s clear that he overlooked borrowing techniques from certain iconic films.
Symbolism and Emotional Impact
No One Will Save You deserves praise for not explaining the aliens’ invasion motives or their relentless pursuit of Brynn. In this genre, such details are often unnecessary. However, Duffield’s visual over-explanation of Brynn’s grief and isolation detracts from the film’s intriguing symbolism. The final sequence also feels out of place, resembling the forced happy endings of bygone eras.