No One Will Save You (2023)

If there's one thing in movies that's pretty much guaranteed to freak me out, it's the presence of grey aliens. So needless to say, the opening few minutes of "No One Will Save You", exquisite as they are, had me cringing and cowering just a little too much. In them we find Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) being awoken by noises in the night and, indeed, encountering the same kind of big-eyed, bald-headed space being that's invaded many of my own nightmares. This triggers a day or so of intense back-and-forth between Brynn and a procession of otherworldly visitors, a nightmare from which Brynn, alienated from the rest of town not just by her aspiring captors but by her involvement in the death of her friend some time earlier, appears to have little chance of escape.

"No One Will Save You" never quite follows up its breathtaking opening act in similarly masterful ways and ultimately indulges in some overly elaborate creature designs and theatrical set pieces that suck some of the tension out of its protagonists ordeal, but it still manages to be one of the best alien abduction horror movies in a good while. In a nearly wordless performance that calls on her acting chops to react to the incredible forces working against her character's safety and sanity, Kaitlyn Dever turns in a fantastic performance as Brynn, ably carrying Brian Duffield's film through its murkier patches and enhancing its high points. A savvy, already traumatized protagonist, Brynn is a great anchor for the story, and Duffield does a decent job of intertwining her past with her present circumstances in palpable, even slyly humorous ways. (That ending will probably turn some people off, but I liked it.)

The best thing about "No One Will Save You" is that it's actually scary, which is a rarity for modern sci-fi/horror (in my opinion, of course). I would have preferred it to have been a little more pared-down and classical in its depiction of its aliens and their abduction scheme, but I'm still grateful for its overall effectiveness. And I'll always sing the praises of that awesome opening act.

Death of Me (2020)

Culture shock horror that finds Maggie Q and Luke Hemsworth experiencing surreal events following their unconscious participation in a local ritual on the South Pacific island where they're vacationing, "Death of Me" has potential but blandly squanders it. The whole time I was watching this by-the-numbers affair, I was thinking of how 2008's underrated "Seventh Moon" took a slightly similar concept into scary, exhilarating territory, whereas Darren Lynn Bousman's film never gets out of second gear. There are some intriguing elements and good visuals scattered throughout the movie, of course, but damned if there's little else to care about in a movie that's predictable when it ought to be mysterious. Maggie Q is always good to watch and does what she can in the leading role, but it's a thankless chore for her. Darren Lynn Bousman may have directed the two best "Saw" sequels, but his other movies have left me cold.

See No Evil (2006)

A mediocre mid-2000s slasher notable only for starring professional wrestler Kane as the almost-mute killer who, inspired by a crazy religious upbringing, begins killing off a bunch of interchangeable teen fodder at a disused hotel, "See No Evil" boasts some creative kill scenes but otherwise does little to distinguish itself from the many other generic slasher movies that populated the genre during the same era. Kane (aka Glenn Jacobs), makes for an imposing villain in the role of Jacob Goodnight, although he has little character to work with and doesn't exactly set the world alight when called upon to externalize his character's deep-seated traumas. The rest of the cast, meanwhile, have their hands tied playing characters with little soul or substance. I can't say I was a fan of the whole brown aesthetic the movie had going on either. For all its flaws, the movie is still watchable and has some fairly enjoyable gore effects too. But there's nothing special about it.

Devil's Pond (2003)

A newly married man (Kip Pardue) brings his bride (Tara Reid) to a remote island, where he opts to fumble the bag spectacularly by making her his prisoner and turning Tara Reid into a battered woman who must use what little nous her character has to try and escape. "Devil's Pond" takes this basic, kinda stupid premise, sucks all the potential fun out of it and straps us in for what could only very loosely be called a thrill ride, where we watch Reid (who I liked well enough in "Urban Legend") try and fail to play the Nicole Kidman/Julia Roberts role in a movie that seems like a very low-tier version of their cinematic journeys into domestic hell. The plot is predictable, the violence muted and the acting flat as a board. This time next week I'll have probably forgotten I ever watched it.