“Alone” is a lean, mean, stripped-back psychological thriller that tells the story of what happens to Jessica (Jules Willcox) when she’s kidnapped by a devious killer (Marc Menchaca). Jessica ultimately escapes and finds herself navigating through dense wilderness, hoping to evade the man in pursuit. Far from flashy, critics and audiences alike have praised director John Hyams’ realistic and minimalistic approach to the narrative. “Alone” comes in at an easily watchable 98 minutes, making it the perfect thriller to dive into late at night. The Netflix juggernaut is a remake of the 2011 Swedish film “Gone,” which was co-directed and written by Mattias Olsson. He returned as the scriptwriter for “Alone,” adding a layer of authenticity to the acclaimed remake.
The psychological thriller features a limited cast, which lends to the film’s heavy sense of dread, especially in the moments when Jessica is on the run. With so much of the film resting on the performance from Willcox, whose previous credits include “The Big Lebowski”-esque crime comedy “Under the Silver Lake,” it was no doubt a strenuous experience for the star. While speaking with The Movie Waffler, Willcox revealed that she broke her foot early into shooting. “It was actually the first couple days of shooting,” she recalled. “It came up like, do we keep going or do we stop? And John was really amazing, he really let it be my decision whether or not we keep going,” Willcox shared.
If “Alone” is too disturbing for some viewers, there are some other underappreciated gems on Netflix that might be more to their taste.
