At some point in our lives, we all end up moving on our own. It can be a scary feeling, specially when it involves driving late at night. And then there’s that car driving in front of you that won’t let you through. Or that tailgater that has the entire road but sticks behind your bumper. At that point you wonder if your mind is playing tricks on you. This film is about to make all those nightmare outcomes come true.

(Source: IMDB)

Alone was directed by John Hyams and written by Mattias Olsson, who also wrote and directed the original Swedish version Gone (2011) with Henrik JP Åkesson. I haven’t seen the older version, so I’m not going to make comparisons. Jessica (Jules Willcox) has packed all her belongings and moving away, trying to put some distance between herself and her past. As she’s driving she keeps running into another driver that either tries to cut her off or just won’t let her through. After actually meeting the man behind the wheel (Marc Menchaca) at a stop, she’s not sure whether she’s imagining things or the guy seems out to get her. Unfortunately, her fears are very justified.

This movie is nail-biting experience. You fear for Jessica, you hate the calmness and the self-entitled demeanor of her stalker. Once Jessica ends up kidnapped, you can’t help but feel right there trapped with her. Escaping is a priority, but in the middle of nowhere her options are limited. The cinematography (Federico Verardi) throughout the film is amazing, but I must also give props to the sound department for creating quite an immersive experience. In the end, it comes down to the strength of the main cast who put on an outstanding performance.

Strongly recommended for a rush of adrenaline. It’s an edge-of-your-seat bare-knuckles realistic thriller. The most scary part of the whole ordeal is that it doesn’t require too much imagination, this scenario could play out and has before in any country. The end credits never name Jessica’s attacker. He seems to be a regular guy like any other, hiding in plain sight. Worth a watch for the performances alone and a really satisfying ending.

That will do for now.