I can't help but admire the daring of films that cloak their narrative in an aura of mystery and make the viewer work for their entertainment. Recognizable genre elements are subdued and twisted into dark fantasy by way of a naturalistic fairy tale. We learn the story, the rules and witch lore of the movie's universe, and specific course of events with the same sputtering, inexact difficulty as with which protagonist Nevena learns about the world. There's tremendous, breath-taking horror in 'You won't be alone,' but it is organic and deeply understated rather than immediate and precise; the inattentive audience will be lost. Awe-inspiring artistry of both film-making and storytelling, providing stupendous reward in their own time, is the top priority over easy clarity and instant gratification. Robert Eggers' 'The Witch' is an understandable point of comparison, and Lukas Feigelfeld's 'Hagazussa' a nearer and more appropriate one, but both these are far more direct and plainspoken. For all this, 'You won't be alone' is in its way a challenging watch, and one that will surely appeal best to a select viewership - but it's also roundly excellent and well worth the investment.
All the work that went into making this movie is exquisite, without exception. The filming locations are gorgeous, and the production design is superb. The costume design, hair and makeup work (especially for Maria), and blood and gore are vivid and marvelous. Matthew Chuang's cinematography is lush and vibrant, and Luca Cappelli's editing sharp and keen. This may be only the first feature film of Goran Stolevski, but he demonstrates fine capabilities as a director, and his screenplay is incredibly intelligent, not to mention altogether remarkable. We've seen many films about people, and especially children, discovering that they have supernatural powers, and exploring them - but what other movies have ever portrayed that discovery and exploration with genuine childlike wonder, innocence, and naivete? Even the broken grasp of language in the protagonist's narration discretely emphasizes this splendid approach; the plot at large is greatly absorbing, and fulfilling, but the scene writing that weaves together the tapestry is equally rich at every turn. Why, the sense of joyous fascination is so integral and predominant that 'You won't be alone' rather comes across as the type of horror film Werner Herzog would doubtlessly make if he had a go at the genre (remake of 'Nosferatu' notwithstanding).
Make no mistake, this is all but downright flummoxing at first blush, and stands far outside norms of supernatural horror flicks. It's quiet unlike anything else I've seen, really, a traipse of whimsy that makes the closest corresponding titles seem ruefully mainstream side by side. With all this having been said, however, whatever a viewer must commit for the viewing experience, the profit therefrom is immense. Violent, cryptic, perplexing, captivating, haunting, satisfying - 'You won't be alone' is all this, and much more. Flush with fabulous, smart detail in every regard, replete with peerless acting from everyone in front of the camera, this is well worth the patience, open-mindedness, and forcefully active engagement that is required, and well worth whatever steps one must take to watch it in the first place. Not everyone will get it, not everyone will appreciate it, but I for one think 'You won't be alone' is a brilliant masterpiece and a must-see. My highest, heartiest recommendation - bravo!
All the work that went into making this movie is exquisite, without exception. The filming locations are gorgeous, and the production design is superb. The costume design, hair and makeup work (especially for Maria), and blood and gore are vivid and marvelous. Matthew Chuang's cinematography is lush and vibrant, and Luca Cappelli's editing sharp and keen. This may be only the first feature film of Goran Stolevski, but he demonstrates fine capabilities as a director, and his screenplay is incredibly intelligent, not to mention altogether remarkable. We've seen many films about people, and especially children, discovering that they have supernatural powers, and exploring them - but what other movies have ever portrayed that discovery and exploration with genuine childlike wonder, innocence, and naivete? Even the broken grasp of language in the protagonist's narration discretely emphasizes this splendid approach; the plot at large is greatly absorbing, and fulfilling, but the scene writing that weaves together the tapestry is equally rich at every turn. Why, the sense of joyous fascination is so integral and predominant that 'You won't be alone' rather comes across as the type of horror film Werner Herzog would doubtlessly make if he had a go at the genre (remake of 'Nosferatu' notwithstanding).
Make no mistake, this is all but downright flummoxing at first blush, and stands far outside norms of supernatural horror flicks. It's quiet unlike anything else I've seen, really, a traipse of whimsy that makes the closest corresponding titles seem ruefully mainstream side by side. With all this having been said, however, whatever a viewer must commit for the viewing experience, the profit therefrom is immense. Violent, cryptic, perplexing, captivating, haunting, satisfying - 'You won't be alone' is all this, and much more. Flush with fabulous, smart detail in every regard, replete with peerless acting from everyone in front of the camera, this is well worth the patience, open-mindedness, and forcefully active engagement that is required, and well worth whatever steps one must take to watch it in the first place. Not everyone will get it, not everyone will appreciate it, but I for one think 'You won't be alone' is a brilliant masterpiece and a must-see. My highest, heartiest recommendation - bravo!