alone movie review 2020

The first 30 minutes or so of John Hyams ’ “Alone” are promising. Jessica ( Jules Willcox ) packs up her U-Haul trailer and moves out of Portland, Oregon for parts unknown. Whatever parts they are, they’re deep in the wilderness. Jessica is running from Something Traumatic, as befitting all protagonists in this kind of movie. Her father is concerned that she’s left a day earlier than expected so that she could avoid any kind of verbal skirmish with her mother. Her mother calls her repeatedly, and when Jessica finally answers, Mom’s whiny nagging explains why a confrontation was unwanted. No matter. We never find out where Jessica was going, because her plans get derailed.

You see, there’s a serial killer on the loose. He’s a goofy looking man with glasses and a push broom for a mustache. He reminded me of an older version of the Simpsons’ Ned Flanders, one who has done a lot of things that require repentance. You would think the filmmakers went for this rather Everyman look to distract victims from his villainy, but the guy known as Man in the credits ( Marc Menchaca ) never once acts anything other than creepy. In his first in-person interaction with Jessica, he asks where she’s going, tries to engage her in conversations unbecoming of strangers and then points out that he was driving the Jeep Grand Cherokee that almost got her killed when she tried to pass him a few miles back. I hope Jeep got paid well for this particular product placement. I hope U-Haul did too, because when Jessica’s trailer gets a flat, Man shows up to beat her senseless, drug, and kidnap her. Jessica wakes up in an empty basement room conveniently fitted with a lovely beam of sunlight streaming through the barred up windows.

So far so good for a thriller. There’s even a halfway decent moment of suspense where Man torments Jessica about the devastating event that sent her packing. When Jessica pleads for her life, Man asks “do you think you’re the first person who’s done this?” It’s the last time Man will seem scary, which is a shame because the movie’s barely one-third over. We’re spared any torture or sexual assault, thank goodness, and Jessica easily escapes from Man. This occurs after Jessica overhears Man talking to Wife and Daughter on his cell phone. Screenwriter Mattias Olsson really wants to lean into the idea that Man is living a secret life, but honestly, why should I be impressed by this? “Dark, murderous secrets kept from families” is covered in Serial Killer 101 on the first day of class.

Any genre goodwill generated by Hyams’ assured direction and pacing is lost when the film introduces another character, Robert ( Anthony Heald ). Robert is stupid, as all characters like him are in this type of picture. Before he shows up, Jessica suffers a gruesome foot injury while running from Man, so I expected “Alone” to become a battle of wills between the two out in the big, bad wilderness. Eventually, it does, which makes Robert not only completely extraneous, but also living proof that a good guy with a gun doesn’t stop anything.

The dialogue Man is given to speak is atrocious. When the film catches him monologuing while trying to flush Jessica out of the darkness, his attempts at psychological torture sound amateurish and paltry. It’s to Wilcox’s credit that she so ably plays mental distress that she almost saves the scene. But when Man says, in the dullest voice possible, that “I’m gonna get you, you delicious f–king b—h!” my suspension of belief dissolved completely. And that’s before we get to the deus ex machina helicopter and the climactic phone call which, believe it or not, isn’t to the police.

“Alone” gives us little reason to care if our hero makes it out alive, but I have to give credit where it’s due: Jessica isn’t written as some damsel in distress. Though she does make a questionable choice or two, she’s more crafty and engaged than a standard victim. There’s a scene where she temporarily gets the upper hand with a tire iron, and when she crawls away, she has the good sense to take that tire iron with her. I laughed, because I didn’t think she would do that. It showed a true survival instinct. There’s also a scene where a potential savior, when faced with believing Jessica or Man, sides with the killer simply because Man convinces him Jessica is hysterical. I might be completely wrong in my reading of the scene as a statement on the patriarchy, but I appreciated the sting of the moment nonetheless. It gave me something to think about as the movie limped to its conclusion.

Odie Henderson

Odie “Odienator” Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

• Jules Willcox as Jessica
• Anthony Heald as Robert
• Jonathan Rosenthal as Eric
• Marc Menchaca as Man

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• Federico Verardi
• Mattias Olsson
• Nima Fakhrara

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‘Alone’ Review: Catch Her if You Can

An emotionally fragile young woman takes a terrifying road trip in John Hyams’s bare-bones thriller.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

The first rule of Flight Club is to run very, very quietly; the second rule of Flight Club is — well, you get the idea. Jessica (Jules Willcox), the fleeing heroine of John Hyams’s “Alone,” manages to break that rule more than once; yet this minimalist survival thriller unfolds with such elegant simplicity and single-minded momentum that its irritations are easily excused.

Mercifully unassisted by the usual booming, screeching soundtrack, the story’s inherent menace builds naturally as Jessica packs a U-Haul trailer for the long drive to her father’s home in rural Oregon. A traumatic loss has set her on this near-deserted, forested highway, her pensiveness shifting to alarm when — shades of Steven Spielberg’s “Duel” (1971) — the driver of a mysterious black S.U.V. orchestrates a series of increasingly petrifying encounters.

Divided into five chapters whose titles could serve both literally and figuratively, “Alone” (a remake of a 2011 Swedish thriller) counters its unoriginal plotting with reminders that Jessica’s agony stems from more than her immediate ordeal. From dank basement to rain-drenched forest to roaring river, each punishing confrontation reveals a desire to survive that we sense she is only now affirming.

Scrutinizing Willcox’s changing expressions, Hyams (who directed last year’s fabulously zippy zombie series, “Black Summer” ) gives her space to move and time to communicate her panic. He also gives her unnamed stalker (an effectively chilling Marc Menchaca) a creepy little whistle. And if the movies have taught us anything, it’s to never underestimate a villain who whistles .

Alone Rated R for a knife, a needle, a tire iron and a gun. Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators . Please consult the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before watching movies inside theaters.

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‘alone’: film review.

A woman desperately tries to escape a homicidal stalker in the wilderness in John Hyams' thriller 'Alone.' 

By Frank Scheck

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Filmmakers who create thrillers should absorb the lesson that simpler is usually better. An excellent primer would be John Hyams’ lean, mean suspenser that delivers its undeniably familiar plot mechanics in tightly paced, unadorned fashion. Depicting the struggle for survival of a young woman who has the unfortunate luck to encounter a homicidal stalker on the sparsely populated highways of the Pacific Northwest, Alone proves a highly effective genre exercise.

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Release date: Sep 18, 2020

The encounter proves fleeting enough, but the male driver (Marc Menchaca, HBO’s The Outsider ), identified in the credits only as “Man,” shows up again in a parking lot and makes an awkward attempt at an apology. The fact that he looks entirely unassuming, sporting the sort of mustache and wire-rimmed glasses favored by serial killers, only makes Jessica more suspicious. So when she encounters him a third time, this time on the road with his car supposedly broken-down and his arm in a sling, she turns down his request for assistance. But he eventually manages to overpower and drug her at an unexpected moment, and she wakes up to find herself a prisoner in his basement.

Before the villain can fulfill his obviously evil intent, Jessica manages to escape, leading the film into The Most Dangerous Game territory as she desperately tries to evade her pursuer in the wilderness while also facing various challenges provided by nature. This section includes the film’s single most intense scene, involving her encounter with a hunter (Anthony Heald, The Silence of the Lambs , in a brief but terrific turn) who tries to help her, only to find himself caught in the middle between the desperately frightened woman and her tormentor, who claims that she’s his mentally disturbed sibling.

The two leads, who essentially carry the picture, deliver on all fronts. Willcox powerfully conveys her character’s complex mixture of fear and fortitude, and an underplaying Menchaca makes for a chillingly banal but clearly very dangerous psycho. At one point we hear his predator calmly talking on the phone to family members who are clearly unaware of his malevolent core, suggesting all too convincingly that none of us can be fully sure that someone we know, or even someone we love, is not in fact a monster.

Available in theaters and On Demand Production companies: Mill House Motion Pictures, Paperclip Ltd., XYZ Films Distributor: Magnet Releasing Cast: Jules Willcox, Marc Menchaca, Anthony Heald Director: John Hyams Screenwriter: Mattias Olsson Producers: Jordan Foley, Jonathan Rosenthal, Mike Macari, Henrik JP Akesson Executive producers: Yeardley Smith, Ben Cornwell, Kevin Sullivan, Martin Persson Director of photography: Federico Verardi Production designer: Cait Pantano Editors: Scott Roon, John Hyams Composer: Nima Fakhrara Costume designer: Ashley Russell

Rated R, 98 minutes

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Review: A woman on the verge makes a stand in heart-pounding thriller ‘Alone’

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An above average survival thriller from director John Hyams, “Alone” pits an emotionally vulnerable woman looking for a fresh start against a methodical predator amid some gorgeous Pacific Northwest scenery. Top-tier performances from Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca provide 98 minutes of heart-pounding diversion.

We meet Willcox’s Jessica in Portland, Ore., as she packs her belongings into a U-Haul trailer and hits the road for points north. Not long after, an incident with a passive-aggressive fellow motorist (Menchaca) leaves Jessica rattled as she checks into a motel for the night.

The pair cross paths in increasingly tense encounters where Menchaca is just creepy enough to trigger Jessica’s fears until the real terror starts. In what is essentially a two-hander, the man challenges and baits his victim and Jessica responds with unforeseen grit. ( Anthony Heald is also good in a cameo as a potential good Samaritan.)

Mattias Olsson’s clever, minimalist script (based on his 2011 Swedish film “Försvunnen”) doles out just enough character and context via phone calls taken and avoided (Mom) to draw us in. Chapters with such titles as “The Road” and “The Rain” hint at Jessica’s evolving mental state.

Hyams ( “All Square” and a pair of “Universal Soldier” sequels) allows the story to take its time without lagging, leaning into both the broad expanses of nature and closeups of his actors’ faces. Crisp cinematography by Federico Verardi, taut editing by Scott Roon and Hyams, and measured sound design create an environment where the beam of a flashlight or the snap of a twig can set a new chase in motion as the film steadily builds to a brutal, effectively staged climax.

Rated: R, for violent content and language Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes Playing: Vineland Drive-In, City of Industry and in general release where thetaers are open; also on VOD

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‘Alone’ Review: Misery Is Company in Tense Thriller About a Woman’s Flight From a Serial Killer

A lone female traveler attracts a serial killer's attention in John Hyams' discomfitingly tense remake of a Swedish thriller.

By Dennis Harvey

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Unpleasantly effective “ Alone ” centers on a heroine who wishes she were just that; instead, she’s got insistent, unwanted company in the form of a probable serial killer. John Hyams ’ U.S. remake of a not-particularly-well-regarded 2011 Swedish thriller is an apparent improvement in all departments, with the original’s reported plausibility issues and other flaws subsumed in what emerges a tense, muscular suspense exercise.

After playing the Fantasia Festival’s virtual edition, it gets released by Magnet to theaters and on demand Sept. 18. With its compellingly simple narrative of automotive pursuit and wilderness survival, this is a scary movie especially suited to the surprise resurgence of drive-ins.

Jessica (Jules Willcox) is introduced loading a small U-Haul trailer with her possessions before driving out of Portland, seemingly for good. It takes a while before we learn that she’s leaving in the wake of a grave personal tragedy that’s referenced but not really explained. Regardless, it is in a spirit of distraction and defeat that she is moving onward, getting an occasional call en route from parents who are evidently not happy with her decision. As her station wagon climbs increasingly remote, winding mountain roads, she finds herself stuck behind a black SUV driving with exasperating slowness. It blocks her from passing, then when she manages it, nearly forces a collision with an oncoming semi before vindictively tailgating her. Shaken, she pulls over, which seems to be the end of it.

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But then it isn’t. The next day in a motel parking lot, the driver (Marc Menchaca) jarringly knocks on her car window, offering an effortfully sincere if questionably convincing apology for his prior behavior. With his thick blond mustache and wire-rims, he looks like Ned Flanders — or maybe, given a faint malicious gleam in the eye, like Kiefer Sutherland’s smarmy killer in “Freeway.” Jessica finds out all too soon which comparison is more apt. Increasingly panicked by each new “chance” encounter with the same pushy stranger, at about the half-hour mark she suffers an accident that proves no accident, waking later to find herself in dire, captive straits.

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At this juncture “Alone” looks to be abandoning its “Duel”-like buildup for the familiar, unwelcome torture-porny terrain of many a prior horror film dwelling on trapped female victimization. But fortunately, it soon allows the resourceful heroine out of her cage. The story’s majority becomes an equally nerve-wracking but less sadistically lopsided battle as barefoot, wounded Jessica tries to outwit her pursuer over Pacific Northwest backcountry of forest, rain, river and rapids. At one point she’s aided by a chanced-upon hunter (Anthony Heald). But as genre convention (and title) decree, she’ll ultimately have to face off against her nemesis solo.

Though the nameless villain shows every sign of being a serial rapist, among other things, “Alone” is refreshingly free of the exploitative edge common to its general narrative type. Provided almost no character backstory in the script by Mattias Olsson (who also wrote and co-directed its prior incarnation “Torsvunnen” aka “Gone”), Willcox still manages to make a protagonist mostly limited to expressions of fear and physical pain seem a credibly rounded personality. Menchaca’s chillingly underplayed villain is equally convincing in his smug, baiting malevolence, which disturbs all the more once we’ve overheard his banal sweet-talking over the phone to family members oblivious to his homicidal “hobby.”

This is a grim tale only somewhat leavened by the verdant natural beauty of settings well-captured (often in striking overhead shots) by DP Federico Verardi’s widescreen lensing. Those who can take the punishment, however, will be rewarded by a payoff with considerable satisfaction of the schadenfreude type.

Accomplished in all its tech and design departments, “Alone” is easily the best of several recent hunted-woman-in-the-wilderness films, including fellow indies “Ravage” and “Range Runners” as well as the flashier French “Revenge.” It doesn’t necessarily need the structural gimmickry of onscreen “chapter” titles (“The Road,” “The Rain,” etc.), but that’s a minor quibble.

Reviewed online, San Francisco, Aug. 21, 2020. (In Fantasia Film Festival.) MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 98 MIN.

• Production: A Magnet Releasing release of a Paperclip Ltd., Mill House Motion Pictures production in association with XYZ Films, IPR.VC, Koji Productions. Producers: Jordan Foley, Jonathan Rosenthal, Mike Macari, Henrik JP Akesson. Executive producers: Yeardley Smith, Ben Cornwell, Kevin Sullivan, Martin Persson. Co-producers: Nick Smith, Thom Zadra.
• Crew: Director: John Hyams. Screenplay: Mattias Olsson, based on the motion picture “Torsvunnen.” Camera: Federico Verardi. Editors: Scott Roon, Hyams. Music: Nima Fakhrara.
• With: Jules Willcox, Marc Menchaca, Anthony Heald.

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Alone REVIEW – A Worthwhile Thriller Before Halloween

Want to jump start your Halloween? Alone might just be the thrilling film you seek.

There’s nothing worse than being lost in the woods. One wrong turn can mean instant death, or worse, a never ending circle of which you’ll never get out of. Throw in a serial killer pursuing your every step, and we have ourselves an effective recipe for a thriller.

John Hyams uses these ingredients for his film, Alone, which is set to be released on September 18th. While this formula has been recycled in one slasher flick after another, Alone takes a more thoughtful approach in terms of story-telling and characterization.

Alone tells the story of Jessica Swanson (Jules Willcox), a widow who’s returning to her family after her husband’s death. After being pursued and kidnapped by a serial killer (Marc Menchaca), Jessica finds herself trapped in the basement of a cabin located in the wilderness. With only her instincts, Jessica must not only escape the clutches of her kidnapper, but also brave the woodlands of the Pacific Northwest.

As a thriller, Alone works quite well. The pacing is good, with moments of suspense and relative ease mixed together. The film’s setting in the forests of Oregon makes for an instantly foreboding and eerie atmosphere, especially during sequences involving nightfall.

Yet the driving forces of any thriller are the characters – and Alone is most definitely a character-driven ride.

Jules Willcox is well-cast as Jessica Swanson. She starts as a vulnerable individual who’s pursued by a malicious entity, but whether facing down her pursuer or navigating through the forest, Jessica gradually overcomes her vulnerabilities and learns to fend for herself. Alone doesn’t go too overboard in divulging Jessica’s strengths and weaknesses. She’s neither a damsel in distress nor a total badass, so much as she’s a human being who’s forced off course by unexpected circumstances, and she must adapt accordingly. Anyone can relate to this dilemma, and Willcox gains our sympathy with ease.

As for the film’s antagonist, Marc Menchaca is spectacular in the role. Portraying a nameless serial killer, Menchaca serves up a compelling blend of charm and indifference that is typical of many murderers. He’s friendly in his appearance, even revealing himself to be a family man of sorts. Yet, the real man is an emotionless psychopath who wears a friendly mask. Menchaca is warm and soft when addressing unsuspecting bystanders, yet he’s distant and unemotional as he taunts Jessica in hiding, revealing the true disconnection he has with humanity. The more time we spend with him, the more we grow to despise him, which makes for a great antagonist in this case.

Willcox’s and Menchaca’s performances are the main strengths of this film. In terms of weaknesses, Alone has a few that are noticeable.

Interspersed throughout the film are deliberate breaks, which include a title for each segment. “The Road” details Jessica’s first encounters with the Killer, “The River” involves her kidnapping, “The Night” involves her fleeing the Killer in pursuit, and so on. These moments are meant to help guide the audience through the story, but overall, it is unnecessary. Most can figure out where they are in terms of the plot without these breaks.

Probably the biggest flaw with Alone is that even with the pacing and characterization, it is still predictable. Anyone familiar with Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game will notice the similarities between the classic short story and this film (i.e. a protagonist literally hunted in the wilderness by the antagonist). In many ways, Alone feels like a subtle retelling of the classic, and – if that’s the case – it does a decent job at doing it. Otherwise, Alone doesn’t bring anything new to the thriller genre in terms of originality. Those unfamiliar with Connell’s short story might be in for a real treat, but others may easily see what the ending has in store before anyone else does.

This aside, Alone is anything but dull. Hyams has produced an effectively character-driven film, and the bond we develop with Jessica – along with the hatred we develop for her pursuer – go deep. It won’t go down as a classic, but it won’t be a waste of a view either, especially a month before Halloween.

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Best Psychological Thriller Movies On Netflix

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The following contains discussions of suicide.

• Alone's protagonist Jess outwits and kills serial killer Sam after being relentlessly chased.
• Alone's ending implies Jess survived her ordeal, with a rescue helicopter being heard offscreen.
• Sam, a family man and hunter, underestimates Jess, leading to his downfall during their final confrontation.

Alone is an intense psychological horror thriller by director John Hyams, where a woman named Jessica is kidnapped and hunted by a relentless killer. 2020's Alone cast Jules Willcox as the recently widowed Jessica, who over the course of a long road trip, repeatedly encounters a strange man called Sam (Marc Menchaca). Sam seems to appear wherever she goes and is ultimately revealed to be a serial killer. Sam kidnaps Jessica and takes her to his isolated cabin, but thanks to some quick thinking, she's able to escape into the woods.

Sam proves almost impossible to shake because no matter how many times Jess tries to get away, he is always two steps ahead. This comes to a head in Alone's ending, where, after calling the police on Sam's phone, Jessica is forced to fight her tormentor one-on-one . Having been stalked by Sam for several days, Jessica decides she will either kill him or die trying. Despite being injured during the brawl, Jess grabs Sam's hunting knife and delivers a killing blow , before sitting back and watching him die.

The best psychological movies on Netflix offer everything from classics and Netflix originals to award winners and international releases.

Is Jess Saved In Alone's Final Scene?

The meaning of alone's final close-up.

After Sam dies, the wounded, exhausted Jessica lies on her back. Before the final battle with Sam, she saw a rescue helicopter flying over a clearing, which was searching for Jess following her call to the police. The Rotten Tomatoes-approved Alone keeps things slightly ambitious, but while the ending doesn't show the helicopter arriving, the sound of its rotors are heard offscreen as Jess looks toward the sky.

This means Jessica survived her ordeal in Alone, with the helicopter taking her to safety soon after.

Alone's Five Chapter Titles Explained

Alone is divided into five chapters, consisting of "The Road," "The River," "The Rain," "The Night" and finally "The Clearing."

The first chapter details Jessica's road trip and eventual capture, while "The River" involves her nail-biting escape from Sam's cabin and eventual plunge into a nearby river to escape. "The Rain" follows her attempt to escape from the woods, with help from an ill-fated hunter.

Some other movies that use chapters as a narrative device include Kill Bill , Moonlight , and 2022's The Menu .

"The Night" involves Jess being stalked through the woods by Sam, who shoots her in the arm as she tries to flee. Despite his best efforts to taunt her into a confrontation, she doesn't take the bait. Alone's final chapter "The Clearing" builds to the final confrontation between Jess and Sam , with she steals his phone and calls the police before they fight to the death. According to director John Hyams at Rogue Commentary , Alone almost used the five stages of grief as the chapter headings , until it was decided this felt too obvious.

Who Is Sam? Alone's Killer Backstory, Motives & Death Explained

Alone's terrifying killer is a family man.

Alone earned great reviews , with Marc Menchaca's menacing performance as Sam cited as a highlight. Unlike Halloween's Michael Myers or other slasher movie villains , Sam is very much human and treats hunting down his victims like a sport . A phone call midway through Alone reveals that in the real world, Sam is a loving husband and father . Jessica overhears this call, where he explains to his wife he's still on a business trip but doesn't know when he will get home.

Sam also briefly talks to his daughter, who is feeling sickly. Not much is revealed about how long he's been kidnapping women, though when Jessica begs him to let her go, he coldly responds with " Do you think you're the first one to say that? " This implies Sam has been killing women for years and lets Jessica know there is no point appealing to his mercy.

Marc Menchaca later reteamed with Alone director John Hyams on 2022's Sick .

Alone's ending makes it clear that Sam never expected Jessica to fight back as fiercely as she did. His constant underestimation of her proves to be his downfall too, since Jess proves endlessly resourceful. His taunts also push her to fight back, and during their final confrontation, she's fully aware she could die - but refuses to back down. Jessica's will to survive ultimately proves stronger than Sam's.

What Happened To Jessica's Husband

When Alone begins, Jessica is seen packing up her belongings and setting out on her road trip. She speaks with her father and mother on the phone during the first act and is also seen looking at pictures of her husband, Eric. Jessica is later forced to admit to Sam that Eric died by suicide six months earlie r and she is moving to escape the memories.

Sam also uses Jess' grief about Eric's death as a psychological weapon , particularly in a key scene where he tries to draw her out of hiding. Having learned to look past Sam's gaslighting and manipulations, Jess refuses to let him trick her into a fight she will lose.

Jessica's husband Eric is played by Alone co-producer Jonathan Rosenthal.

Why Jess' First Escape Attempt Fails

For the majority of Alone , the only characters are Jessica and Sam , outside of some voices heard on the phone. This changes towards the end of the second act, where after wandering the woods, Jess later encounters a friendly hunter named Robert (Anthony Heald) . She initially attacks Rob when she mistakes him for Sam - an attack which has the tragic consequence of smashing the hunter's phone. Regardless of how they meet, Rob soon takes Jess to his jeep to drive her to the hospital.

Of course, her stalker has thought about this and blocked their path with a tree stump. Sam reappears and pretends to be Jess' brother , and claims the recent loss of her husband has caused her to have a psychotic episode. Rob isn't sure who to believe, but when he sees how terrified Jessica is, he insists Sam hand over his phone so he can call the police. While Rob holds Sam at gunpoint, the latter soon overpowers the older man, seizing his rifle and using it to kill him , while Jess runs back into the forest.

The Meaning Of Jess' Call To Sam's Wife

Jess earns her revenge during alone's finale.

In Alone's final scenes, Jessica realizes she has no choice but to face Sam , since help won't arrive in time. Before he reaches her in the clearing, Jess takes his phone and calls Sam's wife. Jess informs Sam's spouse her husband is a secret serial killer and that, in all likelihood, he's going to murder Jess when the call ends.

Sam arrives in time to hear this and realizes that even if he kills Jess, his secret life has been exposed. Jessica made this call to ensure that even if she dies, Sam will still be brought to justice.

With this move, she robbed Alone's killer of his remaining power and made their final fight to the death an intensely personal one. Despite Sam's anger, his would-be victim still manages to gain the upper hand.

Alone is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes , John Hyams' Rogue Commentary

Alone (2020)

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Alone (2020) [Wilderness Survival, Serial Killer, Thriller]

Alone (2020) [Survival, Serial Killer, Thriller)

THIS IS A REVIEW WITH SLIGHT SPOILERS. IF YOU WANT TO BE 100% SURPRISED SKIP TO THE BOTTOM FOR MY CONSENSUS.

Alone (2020) is directed by John Hyams and is written by Mattias Olsson. It stars Jules Willcox as Jessica, and Marc Menchaca as “The Man”.

So, I recently watched this film as part of my 31 days of horror thing I’m doing for October, and wow. This ended up being one of my favorite movies of the year. It has a very simple premise: a young woman moves out of her home after her husband dies, and soon finds herself at the mercy of a serial killer. She escapes and has to survive in the harsh wilderness as he relentlessly pursues her. Despite having such a simple premise, it does everything perfectly. The acting, the dialogue, the setting, the tension and pacing, all perfect.

Marc, who is probably best known for his role in Ozark, is phenomenal as the unnamed serial killer. He brings an awkward menace to the character, and he looks and acts like a perfect combination of Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader. He seems like a timid, unthreatening man on the surface but turns out to be quite the antagonist throughout, tormenting the protagonist both verbally and physically relentlessly. He provides a suitably nail-biting, realistic performance that really makes his character terrifying.

Jules is equally as good as the protagonist, Jessica. Her performance is tinged with a sad undertone due to the death of her character’s husband, and she provides grounded, realistic responses to the torment she experiences throughout. But she makes sure the viewer knows she’s not damsel in distress, and very easily switches to “capable survivor” mode when need be. She plays the character in a way that shows us she is both vulnerable and scared, but also someone who shouldn’t be messed with.

The film itself is very well done, with realistic dialogue that allows both characters to feel like real people, as well as decisions made by both that would make sense in real life. The tension is fantastically done, with scenes shot and acted in such a way that you’ll be on the edge of your seat whether you even realize it or not. The movie cares a lot about Jessica’s survival, and it makes sure you end up caring as well. The wilderness is shot in a way that makes it seem insanely intimidating, with groaning trees, rushing rivers and torrential rains taking center stage at pivotal moments. Jessica is put through a lot in the film, and you feel every moment of it. She steps on roots, falls into rivers, gets caught in downpours, slips in muddy puddles, trips on rock formations, and more, which makes the forest as much of an antagonist as the killer himself. The cinematography is gorgeous and very well done, as are the sound design and the special effects.

Finally, the finale is absolutely fantastic. It’s tense, bloody, and all around perfectly done. Jessica and The Man fight in an all out battle for their lives where you’re not sure who will come out on top. Out of every tense moment in the film, this is the most tense, but also provides an amazing release and outburst in response to all of the suspense felt throughout.

Overall, I’d give this film a 4.5/5. Definitely give it a watch. It’s currently available on Amazon Video for 6.99, and it’s well worth the rental price in my opinion.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Alone’ Starring Tyler Posey, The American Iteration Of South Korean Zombie Flick ‘#Alive’

Where to stream:, will the failure of 'rebel moon' earn zack snyder a trip to director's jail, amc renews ‘the walking dead: daryl dixon' for season 3, stream it or skip it: 'the walking dead: the ones who live' on amc, where rick and michonne try to find their way back to each other, 'lisa frankenstein' offers gen z its very own undead boyfriend.

With  #Alive , we’ve already been gifted the first great zombie film of 2020, and this week, Alone,  its English-language original script,   is here to toss its horrifying hat into the ring. Now streaming on VOD, the Tyler Posey-led flick leaves its protagonist locked in an apartment complex while a zombie outbreak rages down below. Will  Alone  match the greatness of its South Korean counterpart? Or is it better left…. alone?

AL O NE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Guy wakes up with one night stand in his apartment. Prepares to wake and bake. And then… an emergency alert appears on the TV, helicopters spin out of control above him, and ravenous zombies rage in the streets below. That guy is Aidan (Tyler Posey), a guy who doesn’t seem to have any distinguishable job or hobby and is lucky enough to have parents who pay his rent (well, at least for the first few minutes of the movie). As zombies – unique zombies in this case, ones who are actually somewhat conscious and feel remorse for what they’re doing – ravage his apartment complex and attempt to get into his own unit, he blocks his front door with a refrigerator and grows an impressive beard. To the best of his knowledge, all the people he knows and/or loves have been devoured by these fast-moving flesh eaters, and after a few weeks, all hope seems to be lost. He prepares to end it all, and then… you guessed it… a girl!

If you’ve seen  #Alive , you know where this is going. Aidan develops a fondness for a young woman who lives in an apartment across from his, and the two begin communicating (and flirting) using a whiteboard and (a lot of pre-written???) paper, respectively. They help each other out where they can, share resources, exchange smiles. And fight for their lives, of course. The connection these two share has them willing to venture out into this hellish world for one another and the pursuit of survival, and they wind up finding a few more horrifying things than just zombies out there.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Well, if you enjoyed  #Alive , you’ll probably dig  Alone , though  #Alive  is… better. Alone also echoes familiar zombie apocalypse dramas like 28 Days Later and Train to Busan .

Performance Worth Watching: The performances in  Alive  overall are pretty lackluster, but as Eva, Summer Spiro ( Westworld ) has a lovely, warm screen presence and an infectious smile. She does the best she can with what she’s been given, and offers a few of the film’s bright spots, even if her romance with Aidan isn’t totally buyable.

Sex and Skin: There isn’t really any sexy time here, but there is a lot of shirtless/naked Tyler Posey, including naked Tyler Posey showering in the rain on his balcony. Lots of tattoos and lots of butt.

Our Take:  When there are  so  many good zombie movies out there these days, you have to make a bold move to create something truly memorable.  Alone  unfortunately squanders that opportunity within its first few minutes, revealing the outbreak in such a comically quick and video game-esque way that it’s difficult to get fully invested. With this sort of thing, unless they’re prepared to do something radical, we should get the chance to spend a little time with our lead (and pretty much the person who carries most of the film on his back) before we dive into high stakes action. We know almost nothing about him or his interests or traits, so why should we care what happens? After we have some time with him, he’s a totally serviceable protagonist, but more character development really would have helped  Alone  kick things off on a better note. This sadly sets the tone for the rest of the flick.

Alone  isn’t offensively bad. In fact, it’s perfectly watchable. The unfortunate fact is that it pales in comparison to its South Korean counterpart  #Alive  in almost every category; where  #Alive ‘s zombies are truly terrifying and convincing,  Alone ‘s very much feel like actors being twitchy. Similarly, the romantic connection in #Alive  is much more believable and emotionally resonant than  Alone ‘s ever comes anywhere close to being, and that might largely be due to the bad writing (the needy, scolding woman role is so exhausted, guys) and flat direction. Despite its best efforts to be serious, Alone has a pretty big student film vibe – and this can be traced back to the direction. The effects are pretty mediocre, the zombies aren’t as scary as they could be, and the love story leaves a lot to be desired. It’s just missing that special something.

If I hadn’t seen  #Alive  before I saw  Alone , I might have cut it a little more slack. Because the South Korean adaptation is  so  great, however, I found it near impossible to fully get behind this one. (Though I was admittedly delighted by the Donald Sutherland appearance). It’s totally fine to throw on if you’re not expecting anything great, but if you have high hopes, you’re better off looking elsewhere.

Our Call: SKIP IT… and watch  #Alive  instead. Even if  Alone was written first, its South Korean adaptation just hits harder, is performed more convincingly, boasts better effects, and feels more genuinely scary (and emotional).

Should you stream or skip Tyler Posey-led zombie movie #Alone on VOD? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) October 29, 2020

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter:  @jadebudowski .

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Alone Review: An Entertainingly Tenebrous Take on the Survival Road Thriller

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Rebel Ridge Review: This Is How You F*cking Do It

Disastrous bruce willis & henry cavill action movie is finding success on free streaming, netflix reveals release date & trailer for what could be this year’s best action movie.

Road thrillers are a fun subgenre with few misses, and while many favor electrifying action sequences and zany charm in their psychotic assailants, recently-released Alone relies on a remote, woodsy setting and an emotionless feel to pull audiences along a grimmer road to survival.

Given we're still sitting deep in the strictly streaming period of films that will continue unforeseeably, I'm grateful for anything new and remotely interesting hitting a platform I use. Alone recently popped up on Hulu, striking me as, at its possible worst, a conventional psycho chase thriller flick to pass time. It's darker, uncannier, and of course stylistically cooler than a glance at the plot summary would indicate.

Alone is a brutally intense stalker thriller with familiar anecdotes but an especially cold tone and approach that lends to a darkly gripping viewing. Director John Hyams, who has a long history in television direction, wedges in a mesh of thrills so aggressive it feels like a different film from act to act. What begins as a Duel -esque road hunt becomes a bleak victim trapped in a sadistic bastard's basement saga, only to shift back to a violent run from a psycho thriller. What remains constant is the overwhelming feel of emptiness, assisted by a secluded setting and creepily minimal score that's for the most part just sounds of nature and breath. There's no charm nor much emotion in any of Alone's characters. No sparks of life in any interaction. Very few comedic moments to lighten the load, unless strictly dry and direly dark is your avenue. To its credit, Alone is as pulse-pounding as a film so lifeless could be, and the sick rawness of it all enthralling.

Jessica (Jules Willcox) is a young, recently widowed writer who flees the city to heal and work on a novel. While driving throughout the Pacific Northwest she's tormented by a reckless driver. After a cat and mouse game, the man behind the wheel (Marc Menchaca,) am emotionless creep who fails miserably at turning on psychopathic fake charm, eventually captures Jessica and holds her in the basement of his remote cabin. After her escape, the chase is back on for Jessica. The psycho in pursuit is more clever than she could have imagined, and willing to take out anyone who interferes with his hunt.

Reading the Alone synopsis, you have to recognize commonplace tropes here. They're present through this excruciatingly tense journey, but these age-old, action-heightening twists all have a uniquely mean flare. It's hopeless occurrence after hopeless occurrence for poor Jessica, who we mainly only care about based on principle. She's a sad young woman processing an awful tragedy, just driving to clear her head, and now she's undergoing hell; fighting for her life at the hands of a heartless, evil creep who couldn't bother to throw in a joke or be entertaining every once in awhile.

However, Jessica isn't one to feel deeply for beyond the obviously tragic circumstances. Our resident psychotic stalker/nameless killer, played by the talented Marc Menchaca, isn't one to have affection for, either. Some writers and directors take the "make this guy an oddly likeable nut" path, or try to give a killer some comically redeeming qualities. Not the writing/directing team of Mattias Olsson and John Hyams. This psycho is a dead-in-the-eyes, infuriatingly malicious turd. The others we see along this forested battle for survival are mere pawns in the game, though hunter Robert (Anthony Heald) is a sweet and compelling character who brings the flick a brief moment of heart.

Early on we're thrown into a potentially deadly road game that spurs a nail-biting sequence. With thrills underway we're eager to meet this widow-torturing madman behind the wheel. Considering old films that previously tackled this maniac tormenting strangers on the road game, i.e. Duel , The Hitcher , or Breakdown , one's led to believe a viciously colorful character is ready to show himself.

Enter an uncharismatic, mayonnaise-toned creep with a mustache and pedo glasses.

Our guy in Alone is anything but colorful, but his repulsive disconnect from feeling, gross way of manipulating, and bland delivery of heartless thoughts soon becomes crucial to the film's freezing cold intensity.

When chase turns to held in captivity is when the tone begins making more sense and setting in effectively. No matter where you rate her on the compelling scale, you can't help but enthusiastically root for somebody's survival once they're locked in an insane man's basement. I'll admit, the film hits a disturbing lull amidst the cabin lockdown . Saw -like torture territory seems possible, which would have turned me completely off an initially rousing scenic chase . Instead, the mustached psycho stalker just chooses to be a weirdo who grabs Jessica and whispers a lot. While it's a little skin-crawling, thus in line with the overall unsettling factor, the momentum shift can take a viewer out if they weren't fully committed.

Fortunately, Alone sets out on the run again, and meandering shots of still, endless woods add hopeless chill to the thrill of the hunt. Jessica's a fighter, and resourceful. The mustached man is a fascinatingly evil son of a bitch who won't give up . The relentless need to kill, and relentless will to live make for a rigid ride with dark surprises and shockingly brutal moments. Hyam's crafts the long game of strategically navigating survival - exciting, but carefully paced to keep matters eerie as anxiety runs high.

The film's final third packs dramatically-increased levels of violence, and impressive fight from both characters, for whom matters have grown personal. Though Alone cranks the energy up to high voltage as a close nears, it stays true to grey form, steering clear of synths or dramatic sounds. A touch of light chimes is all it takes for the mood to stay tense.

Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca are great as Jessica and the madman. Jessica finds her way from terribly sad, to terribly afraid, to beaten down but hellbent on killing a man. Jules handles that range and makes Jules the smart survivor you want to see make it and seek vengeance. As a character, Jessica has already lost her zest for life by the beginning of the film, so it's hard to truly love her. And what can be said for Marc as the psycho? He does a stand up job as the void of all feeling, unpleasant maniac who holds women captive in a secluded cabin. Is he menacing and a little on the scary side? Sure. That's all we can ask for. Do I typically like wilder behavior or more wisecracks from my kidnapping madmen? Yes, but perhaps I'm just old school.

Alone , all in all, is an entertainingly tenebrous take on the standard chased by a maniac thriller. It follows the general blueprint, though it's shot through a greyer lens, with raw violence, new thrills, and less frill. This airs on the more distressing side of chase movies, and maybe isn't a film you'll be going back to for repeat enjoyment. Plainly, there just isn't much to feel for throughout watching, aside from rooting for expected revenge. As it is, Alone is an eerie thrill ride with neat visuals, a few shocks, and an interesting heartlessness to it.

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• Alone (2020)

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Common Sense Media Review

Woman is terrorized in viciously violent thriller.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Alone is a thriller about a lone female traveler named Jessica (Jules Willcox) who's kidnapped and terrorized by a male psychopath (Marc Menchaca). It's technically well made, but it's also unpleasant, with extremely strong violence. Most of the violence is directed at Jessica,…

Why Age 16+?

Extreme violence. A woman is terrorized by a man throughout. He breaks her car w

Several uses of "f--k," "s--t." Also "hell," "bitch."

U-Haul trailer (part of the story) seen frequently.

Cigarette smoking. Social drinking seen in old photos.

Any Positive Content?

No real messages here. It's just a case of needless violence met with more viole

It would be nice to say that Jessica is a strong female character, but she's mos

Violence & Scariness

Extreme violence. A woman is terrorized by a man throughout. He breaks her car window with a tire iron, attacks her, punches her hard, injects her with a knockout drug. He slams her against a door, drags her by her hair. Branch stabbed through bare foot; blood shown. One character shoots, wounds another. Repeated punching, mostly off-screen. Shooting and killing (off-screen). Characters fight with a knife and tire iron. Punching, beating, stabbing. Dead body dragged to grave, buried. Woman bloodied and bruised. Car crash. Mention of suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

No real messages here. It's just a case of needless violence met with more violence -- and vengeance.

Positive Role Models

It would be nice to say that Jessica is a strong female character, but she's mostly helpless for majority of movie. She does manage to escape by herself (even triumphs in the end, through some violence of her own), but otherwise, she's at the mercy of men around her.

Parents need to know that Alone is a thriller about a lone female traveler named Jessica (Jules Willcox) who's kidnapped and terrorized by a male psychopath (Marc Menchaca). It's technically well made, but it's also unpleasant, with extremely strong violence. Most of the violence is directed at Jessica, including guns/shooting, punching, stabbing, dragging by the hair, and slamming against a wall. A tree branch pierces her bare foot, with blood shown. Her attacker also pummels and shoots another man, drags his body, and buries him. He and Jessica fight using a tire iron and a knife, plus punching and stabbing. Language includes several uses of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as "bitch" and "hell." Jessica smokes on several occasions, and a photograph shows social drinking. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 5 parent reviews

Violent and suspenseful but good.

What's the story.

In ALONE, Jessica (Jules Willcox) is trying to make a fresh start after her husband's death. She packs a U-Haul and starts driving. On a lonely mountain road, she passes a slow-moving truck, which then speeds up and nearly causes an accident. Later, the driver (Marc Menchaca) spots her in a parking lot and tries to apologize, but Jessica is spooked by him. She comes upon the same man having car trouble and, panicked, speeds away. But she loses control of her car, and the man catches up to her and attacks her. She wakes up in a basement as his prisoner. Jessica manages to escape, but between her and safety are the Pacific Northwest woods. Worse, she's barefoot, and her attacker is in pursuit.

Is It Any Good?

Directed by John Hyams , this lean thriller works more or less in the ways it's supposed to, but it also has a strong sense of vicious cruelty, and it may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Hyams has a strong visual style and a good sense of rhythm, and he puts all of the story's bits and pieces together in just the right way to create white knuckles. But given that the entire story of Alone is about a relentless, psychopathic stalker who's trying to harm an innocent (and already victimized) woman, it just doesn't sit right. Similar but far more controversial exploitation classics like The Last House on the Left and I Spit on Your Grave at least gave their female characters a chance to fight back. In Alone , Jessica is a helpless victim for 95% of the movie.

What's more, viewers are asked to forgive some strange coincidences and silliness. First, it's totally random that Jessica should come upon the slow-driving psychopath in the first place. Does he drive slowly all the time in the hopes that solo women drivers will try to pass him? And how does he always know where she is? How did he manage to cause her eventual car crash in order to capture her? And why is his phone not passcode-protected? Given that Alone starts off by recalling Steven Spielberg's early horror movie Duel , perhaps it should have embraced its killer's supernatural qualities rather than pretend that this is all just happening by chance. It's a shame that lack of care brings down an otherwise well-made thriller.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Alone 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it shocking? Thrilling? Why? How much is directed toward women? How does that affect its impact?

Does Jessica have agency? When and in what ways does she take charge of her fate? How often is she helpless?

Why are viewers often fascinated by movies and stories about psychopaths? What's the appeal of that kind of character?

Is smoking glamorized in any way? Are there consequences for smoking? Why does that matter?

What happens to the one character who tries to help Jessica? Do you think the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished" is true?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : December 15, 2020
• Cast : Jules Willcox , Anthony Heald , Marc Menchaca
• Director : John Hyams
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Magnolia
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 98 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violent content and language
• Last updated : January 13, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Film review: alone (2020).

Evan Gosnell 02/18/2020 Uncategorized

“Alone” follows a writer seeking peace and solitude in the countryside in an attempt to recover from tragedy and finish her book. However, as the welcoming country house turns into a living hell, she soon realizes that her inner demons are not the worst of her problems.

Emma is an Author who is going through writer’s block born of depression. At some point before, she lost her unborn child. Her psychiatrist recommends that she tries to get some peace and quiet. She has a kindly couple allow her to use their cabin for this purpose. While she is supposed to be alone, she starts hearing strange sounds and noticing that someone is moving her things. While the couple tries to reassure her that there is no one there, her paranoia starts to get to her. Then she is murdered twenty-four minutes into the film.

The movie starts with the police pulling up to a young girl screaming about her baby. Close to her is a guy with a bloody nose who the police have their guns trained on while he is telling them that he didn’t do it. It’s then we jump to Emma (Elizabeth Arends) on her way to the cabin. The weird jumps to this movie made me think that the young girl from the opening (who we later learn is named Hailey) and Emma were the same person. The connection feels like it was done on purpose. Emma isn’t actually introduced, rather her story begins with her going to her new home, so when she mentioned the lost baby it felt meaningful. This is problematic because there is no connection whatsoever.

Twenty-five minutes into Alone we are introduced to our new characters. Nice girl Hailey (Sarah Anne) and her brother Jesse (Bailey Coppola) are taking their friends Luke (Dane Majors) and Nicole (Albina Katsman) to their old family cabin. As one would expect, it’s the same cabin that author Emma was just murdered in. There isn’t a whole lot done to develop these characters. Final Girl Hailey is a nice girl who recently left her boyfriend and is secretly pregnant. The rest all fall under the same archetypes as most slashers. It’s then that we meet Nicole’s boyfriend Daniel (Kyle Dondlinger), who she secretly invited, and who brought Hailey’s ex-boyfriend Nate (Graham Jenkins)  with him. Daniel is a genuinely nice guy, and about the only likable character in the movie. Nate is a violent and abusive jackass. It doesn’t take long for the violence to start, and it looks like Nate is the main suspect.

Where can a person start with the problems that this movie presents? Rarely does a movie have two beginnings, it’s just regretful that it didn’t stick with the more interesting one. When the movie started with Emma, I was genuinely curious to see where this would go. A blind woman having to fend herself from an intruder sounded like an interesting movie, especially when it seemed that she had a past trauma.

She is then raped and killed so quickly that we don’t even get a chance to learn much about her. Emma was at least an interesting character. Her replacements are so cookie cutter and annoying that interest dwindled quickly. With the exceptions of the scenes with Hailey and Nicole, none of the other characters have any chemistry. It’s probably difficult when every character can be defined by a single word. The character of Nate in particular seems way out of place. He is a psychopath who responds to most situations with violence, so it seems questionable that he would be both the best friend and former boyfriend of the two nicest characters in the movie. When the movie tries to accuse him of murder, it is certainly believable.

The final nail in the coffin to the movie is the attempt at a twist. To the movie’s credit, it was certainly a surprise, it’s just that it didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Further exacerbating matters is how the twist was presented. Most movies that have a twist like this will maybe have a quick review montage to give the context behind the twist. Alone decides to replay twenty minutes of the movie. Not only do we get to see everyone die again, we get to see it with the information that we’ve already been given.

Alone is an odd movie, unfortunately one that isn’t very good. I can appreciate the attempt at a twist, but when the movie has to replay one fifth of its entirety to get the point across, it doesn’t exactly deserve praise. This is one that should probably be avoided.

Tags 2020 Albina Katsman Alone Bailey Coppola Dane Majors Elizabeth Arends Kyle Dondlinger Sara Anne Vladislav Khesin

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'How to Die Alone' Review: Natasha Rothwell's Comedy Is the Year's Most Hilarious, Heartwarming Show

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It’s so delightful when Hollywood actually gives the people what they want, and it’s even more delightful when that coincides with giving Natasha Rothwell — a standout of Insecure , The White Lotus , and, let’s face it, every project she’s in — her own show. Maybe that’s not exactly accurate to say. After all, Rothwell deserves credit for giving herself How to Die Alone , serving as the creator, and taking on writing duties in addition to acting. The results are just as hilarious as you’d anticipate from someone who wrote on Saturday Night Live — and perhaps deeper and more touching than you’d expect .

What Is ‘How to Die Alone’ About?

How to Die Alone ’s basic premise is ripe for comedy and conflict alike: a 35-year-old airport worker named Melissa (Rothwell) is ironically afraid of flying — along with many other things, like putting herself out there and being in love. This frequently causes tension with her family, including her more financially successful brother Brian ( Bashir Salahuddin ), who is married with kids, and occasionally her trust fund baby best friend Rory ( Conrad Ricamora ), with whom Melissa borders on co-dependent.

After Melissa suffers a freak accident involving a heavy piece of furniture and crab rangoon on her birthday, however, she finds herself sharing a hospital room with an inspiring woman named Elise ( Jackie Richardson ), who motivates her to start living her life to the fullest . Melissa has only a few months to get over her fears so she can get on a plane and tell her boss and ex-boyfriend Alex ( Jocko Sims ) that she still has feelings for him before he gets married to someone else.

‘How to Die Alone’ Is a Worthy Star Vehicle for Natasha Rothwell

Before we get too deep into discussing the show, let’s get one thing out of the way: How to Die Alone is undoubtedly a true comedy. That’s an important distinction nowadays when people are fighting over genre muddlers like The Bear and Barry . How to Die Alone serves up its fair share of drama (more on that later), but it leads with humor and absolutely nails it. It pays tribute to other shows — each episode starts with a street interview, similar to how Sex and the City did back in the day, and comparisons to workplace sitcoms like The Office , Parks and Rec , and Abbott Elementary are inevitable — but sets itself apart as its own thing.

It’s not a mockumentary , for one, staying firmly behind the fourth wall — a somewhat unusual break in structure for comedies in this day and age. The fact it’s streaming instead of airing on a traditional network also allows it to get a bit raunchier and more explicit . Though it never goes too far in that department (it doesn’t need to in order to evoke laughs), the fact the characters are allowed to curse does often make the jokes hit harder and the dialogue feel more natural.

The show taps into the zeitgeist in a multitude of ways, making it fresh and relevant. From parodying identifiable brands like IKEA and Weight Watchers to seamlessly and effectively incorporating trending TikTok music with songs like “One Margarita (Margarita Song)” and “Beans Greens Potatoes Tomatoes” for the Thanksgiving episode, How to Die Alone ’s comedic sensibilities have their finger firmly on the pulse . The show also proves that you can actually make solid jokes about edgier, more serious topics like sexual harassment seminars without being offensive or disrespectful. (Take notes, all the comedians out there whining about the woke agenda and cancel culture.)

Natasha Rothwell has been criminally underrated for years, stealing scenes left and right in juicy supporting roles. It’s an absolute treat seeing her get well-deserved leading lady status, especially in a role this meaty. Melissa is a deeply imperfect yet highly relatable protagonist who’s easy to root for even when she’s making mistakes. The show doesn’t let her off the hook for her flaws, but it provides context for them that makes us empathize with her. Rothwell plays Melissa with a breathtaking vulnerability that is sure to bring tears to your eyes on more than one occasion. The show goes deep into how insecurity impacts every facet of your life, exploring the fact that change is messy, painful, and nonlinear. The way the show tackles body image feels particularly radical in its nuance and authentic in its empowerment — a far cry from the fat jokes that dominated the landscape just a decade or two ago.

‘How to Die Alone’ Has the Makings of a Comedy Classic

Ever since Speechless saw Jimmy DiMeo ( John Ross Bowie ) working at the airport, I thought it seemed like a naturally rich place to center a comedy, and How to Die Alone proves me right. The show capitalizes on its setting in a multitude of ways. The first is, of course, the humor, satirizing the uniquely chaotic vibe and absurd situations that happen, from Melissa and Rory scouring obscure confiscated contraband and abandoned luggage to one of Rory’s flings being a TSA worker who proclaims that his job is “to humiliate people and tell them to get new socks.”

The second is that the airport is a hub for all kinds of people from all types of backgrounds. How to Die Alone ’s cast is effortlessly diverse , with people of all races, sexualities, and body types represented — that’s simply how the real world looks, after all. This extends to the characters beyond the airport as well, showcasing a realistic New York City. There are a lot of supporting characters to juggle between Melissa’s co-workers, family, neighbors, and other friends — and sometimes, the show bites off a little more than it can chew, considering some of the key ensemble all but disappears for a few episodes at a time — but all of them are so entertaining and bring something so special, it would be a shame to get rid of any of them for the sake of tighter focus. Melissa’s world is fleshed out in a way that’s rare for a half-hour comedy and even rarer for a show that only has eight episodes in its season.

And what would a future classic comedy be without a love triangle and some inevitable shipping wars deliciously foreshadowed in the very first episode? The romantic aspects of How to Die Alone are compelling, presenting two excellent and wildly different options for Melissa. I won’t spoil who Alex’s competitor is here — you should watch the pilot and see if you can sense the early chemistry — but I will say they provide a metaphor about a Roomba that’s one of the best (not to mention the funniest) analogies I’ve heard in a while.

The title of How to Die Alone is beautifully ironic, as this show is all about learning to be brave enough to live your best life and open yourself up to connection. At its core, it’s about how loving yourself goes hand-in-hand with the power of community. It’s not a stretch to say How to Die Alone is one of the most joyful, honest, and hopeful shows of the year . It’s also the type of heartwarming series we could use more of now and always. May it go on for many more seasons.

How To Die Alone

Natasha Rothwell gives a raw and hilarious performance in a comedy with a fresh and important voice.

• The performances are excellent, with Rothwell soaring as a leading lady and the rest of the cast all getting their chances to shine.
• The comedy feels original and current, with the jokes consistently landing.
• The series offers an authentic exploration of how insecurity impacts every aspect of your life but ultimately offers a message of hope.
• The ensemble is large, with some characters and storylines essentially disappearing for several episodes at a time.

After a near-death experience, Mel, a broke JFK airport worker, embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Determined to live life on her own terms, she navigates through comedic and heartfelt moments while confronting her fears and redefining her sense of self-worth in this bold, character-driven comedy​.

How to Die Alone premieres September 13 on Hulu.

Watch on Hulu