No One Will Save You Is The Unusual Horror Movie You Should Be Streaming
Ever since the film was released to everyone last week, the talk of 'No One Can Save You' has been on the rise. Filled with strong early reviews and a gorgeous trailer, it immediately prompted early audiences to write about it online, sparking a wave of word-of-mouth that included fans like Guillermo del Toro and Stephen King. Google the film and you'll also find several interviews with writer/director Brian Duffield after the release.
No One Can Save You isn't the first streaming release to get the treatment, but it still feels like a watershed moment. While cinemas are buried in the post-summer lull. last week's most popular new release was Expand4bles , the movie proved that people want to watch and order movies for all seasons, not just at the local multiplex. Even in an age dominated by streaming services, it still seems odd. Why is it the hottest movie of the season on TV?
No One Save You Will Save You plays well at home, which can be the perfect place to watch a suspenseful and action-packed thriller. But there is no doubt that it plays better with the excitement that comes from watching such a film with a crowd in theaters. No one will save you. Spending time on the small screen defies the usual norms of the film release universe.
In the film, Caitlin Dever plays Brian, a tailor who lives alone in his family's country house. But his isolation is not physical. he is ostracized by the rest of his community due to an event long ago, the details of which are not revealed in the film. No one talks to him. Except for one memorable moment in the movie that no one talks about, via a device that Duffield compares the movie to the source material, Brienne is forced to fight for her life against the alien invaders. In addition to this fictional character, Nobody's Gonna Save You explores themes of guilt and compassion before ending with a coda that prompts much discussion in the lobby about what happened after the show and what it means in other situations.
This is a rare film that became part of a disappointing trend that is bypassing theaters . Barbenheimer's summer was a reminder that moviegoers are open to tried-and-true films (and some long-running franchises show that familiarity has its downsides). They certainly hit the spot with Monk II, released in September 2011 .
Even not being attached to a franchise is a guarantee that movies showing in theaters will find a home. Studio politics undoubtedly played a role in 20th Century Fox's decision to send the film to Hulu, as it did last year with Dan Trachtenberg's Predator prequel , set on the 18th-century Great Plains.
The difference between theater goers and theater avoiders was pretty clear, as live (and DVD and VHS before that) movies were always hooked for good reason. Of course there were gems, but finding them required a major victory. Streaming services are still stuck with branded Amityville horror series and giant CGI sharks, but the old theater/home polarity is changing. For example, horror and suspense-focused host Shade Curtis premiered the David Harder-directed horror thriller Sword and Squirrel, starring Emily Tennant as an Instagram star whose trip to Thailand takes an unexpected turn with The CW. (Cassandra Naude) When she meets a friend, she may not be friendly and helpful at first. Highlighted by Naude's excellent performance and Harder's gift for slowly building tension, this is a film that can keep an audience in the theater.) It's no wonder it's starting to feature in the best horror movies of the year. At this point, it's no surprise that one of the best horror movies of the year isn't showing in theaters with a secret fourth sequel and a pretty good Stephen King as The Boogieman .
Will the situation change? As with all attempts to figure out where movies will go in these uncertain times, the answer is a big "Who knows?" But if this is the new normal for genre films looking to find a natural home in the streaming world, it's worth paying attention to what's developing there. The phrase "film flow" conjures up images of something suitable enough to play in the background without requiring much attention, but the films above, guided by similar filmmaking and familiar formulas, demand full attention.
First appeared in GQ
