God bless America, and God bless HORROR!
Writer/Director Derek Mungor, the filmmaker behind LAHorror.com favorite “Desolation Wilderness,” is back with another creeper, “You Are Not Alone.” This is a super beautiful film is about friendship, memories and revisiting old times…oh yeah, and a totally freaky serial killer. It’s a genuine slice of life turned hyper suspenseful slasher movie, shot entirely from the prospective of one character. The film is co-written by Chris O’Brien.
Natalie is a college graduate visiting her hometown over the 4th of July. The night she arrives, she is stalked by a sociopathic killer.
I always love it when horror movies have a nice slow burn, but it makes me really hope that the filmmakers pull it off in the end. Mungor and his team knock this one out of the park. “You Are Not Alone” is one of the scariest serial killer slashers I have ever seen. It takes advantage of your perception, aided by sincere and welcoming performances by a fun and likable cast and makes you feel as if you’re truly living as one of the characters in the film. This both adds to it’s unique charm and also amplifies the horror when things get rough. And when sometimes slasher movies get caught up in narrative and over explanation, “You Are Not Alone” takes a much different approach. The film isn’t exactly about why these killings are happening, but moreso about the events themselves. It’s the best type of slasher film: one that respects its audience and simply shows you the events of one tragic July 4th weekend.
Do yourself a favor and watch this one with ALL of the lights turned off. I mean that. Hats off to Mungor and Director of Photography Ryan Glover for creating what seemed like constant suspense and anticipation, primarily through the use of light and shadow. A great look accompanied by an amazing score by Jason Aud and some ultra creepy sound design by Jason Neumann, this film is incredibly intense…I cannot emphasize that enough. “You Are Not Alone” is the type of slasher that had me at the edge of my seat, jumping at every turn, and when you see it, chances are you will be too.
And on a side note, it’s really great to see a 4th of July horror movie. I can honestly say that this film has potential to be a once a year favorite for the BBQ holiday, much in the same way that other holiday horror favorites have found spots in our hearts. This movie pays homage to a lot of greats before it, yet it never loses itself. Die hard slasher movie fans, get ready for some fireworks, and remember…”You Are Not Alone.”
For more on “You Are Not Alone,” please “like” the film on Facebook and follow the film on Twitter.