Joey Magidson
This is the pairing that I never knew I wanted. I’ve long been a fan of Kaitlyn Dever, considering her one of the more underrated actresses in Hollywood. Moreover, Brian Duffield‘s directorial debut Spontaneous blew me away. So, combining the two for a science fiction film like No One Will Save You is a recipe for success. Not only is this a combination that works for me, it’s one that should appeal to all of you as well. This movie is hitting Hulu today, but honestly, should be closing out the summer in theaters. It’s that fun and that thrilling.
No One Will Save You mixes the home invasion genre with the alien invasion genre. Not only that, it’s essentially a one character thriller, raising the stakes. Every single time in this flick that you think we’ve reached the point where things can’t get any weirder or more intense, Duffield asks you to hold his storyteller beer. The results are quite successful, even if the ending may not be quite what you’d have preferred.
Brynn Adams (Dever) is a young woman who’s been alienated from her community after an only hinted at tragedy. All alone, she’s often lonely, but her creative spirit helps keep her spirits up. Brynn lives in the home where she grew up, which has its own joys and challenges, but it’s about to be the location of a fight for her life.
One night, she’s awakened one night by what quickly is established to be an alien invader. Running throughout her home, Brynn hides as best she can, until she’s forced into a face-off. Of course, that’s only the start, as this not so little grey man has decidedly not come alone. As she struggles to fight off the invaders, it’s not just her town’s future at stake, as she’s also coming face to face with her tragic past.
Kaitlyn Dever has rarely been better than she is here, in what’s nearly a silent role. Without dialogue, it’s all about her expressions, which is really a strength for Dever. She has the ability to say so much with her face, especially her eyes, so it’s ultimately the type of role she’s incredibly well suited for. Watching her here is a consistent pleasure, even though she has to go through absolute hell. It’s all about Dever, even if there’s small parts for folks like Zack Duhame, Elizabeth Kaluev, Evangeline Rose, and more.
Filmmaker Brian Duffield, as mentioned above, blew me away with Spontaneous (as you can see here), and while this is more serious a work, it’s no less impressive. Duffield manages to up the ante and ratchet up the tension for almost the entirety of the 90 minute runtime. Not only is there a lot of clever filmmaking on display, as well as confident direction, his writing peppers in some real emotion. It’s primarily a genre piece, but when there’s drama, it really hits. Much of that is due to Kaitlyn Dever, but Duffield showcases here that he’s not just a talented writer, but a director of some note as well.
No One Will Save You is a lot of fun, even when it gets very unsettling and even twisted. The ending isn’t as successful as the rest of the film, but it’s still immensely satisfying. Hollywood needs to give Dever and Duffield more opportunities, as they’re not so hidden gems. The movie will hold your interest from start to finish. It’s doing genre work, but it’s doing it very well!
SCORE: ★★★
Endings like this are right up my alley. Lots to chew on and discuss while avoiding that been-there-done-that feeling we often get.
100%!