What Keeps You Alive

Directed by Colin Minihan, What Keeps You Alive details the violence and chaos that ensues after a seemingly happy couple (Hannah Emily Anderson’s Jackie and Brittany Allen’s Jules) arrives at a remote cabin to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary. Filmmaker Minihan, working from his own screenplay, delivers a deliberately-paced thriller that’s ultimately at its best in its slow-burn yet fairly engrossing opening half hour, as the writer/director does an effective job of establishing the affable central characters and their decidedly isolated surroundings – with the promising vibe certainly heightened and perpetuated by an underlying atmosphere of suspense and mystery (ie it’s clear something ominous is coming but what, exactly?) It’s clear, then, that What Keeps You Alive‘s vice-like grip on the viewer’s interest and attention does begin to falter as it progresses into a conventional and disappointingly ludicrous midsection, as, in terms of the latter, Allen’s protagonist makes decisions and does things that are increasingly difficult to comfortable swallow (ie Jules does, by and large, behave like a typical horror-movie victim). And although Minihan’s strong visual sensibilities and Allen’s gripping performance go a long way towards compensating for certain deficiencies, What Keeps You Alive‘s action-packed climax is, as a result of the erratic second act, unable to pack the enthralling, visceral punch Minihan has obviously intended – which, despite the inclusion of an admittedly strong ending, cements the picture’s place as an ambitious piece of work that can’t quite live up to the promise of its stellar setup.

**1/2 out of ****