No One Will Save You

Directed by Brian Duffield, No One Will Save You follows Kaitlyn Dever’s Brynn as she’s forced to battle a decidedly less-than-friendly otherworldly creature. It’s a familiar yet compelling premise that’s employed to progressively (and distressingly) underwhelming effect by Duffield, which is a shame, ultimately, given that No One Will Save You boasts an engrossing opening stretch that holds plenty of promise – with the engaging atmosphere perpetuated and heightened by Dever’s stirring and wholly sympathetic turn as the central character. It’s clear, then, that No One Will Save You’s downfall stems from its ongoing absence of dialogue, as the gimmick, which is admittedly pretty nifty at the outset, paves the way for a progressively uninvolving midsection that suffers from a disastrous lack of context (ie it’s difficult, if not impossible, to root for a character one knows so little about). There’s little doubt, as well, that the chatter-free atmosphere paves the way for a second half that feels like one long, exhausting climax, as Duffield focuses almost entirely on Brynn’s efforts at running and hiding from (and, eventually, confronting) said otherworldly creature – with the end result an ambitious misfire that could only have worked in a much, much shorter arena (ie perhaps as an entry within a horror-movie anthology).

** out of ****