Brynn leads a reclusive, rural existence in her childhood home. Between a visit to the local cemetery and a look drowned in tears at the sight of an old photo, we can imagine the young woman haunted by some painful memory. However, Brynn is not at the end of her troubles, since one night, she is the victim of a home invasion perpetrated by an intruder… extraterrestrial. The film No One Will Save You providing no dialogue for her terrified but resourceful heroine, Kaitlyn Dever must deliver a near-silent performance. The star of Booksmart (First class) is excellent. The film, on the other hand…
It all starts off promisingly, however. In barely ten minutes, the isolation of the orphan protagonist is established, as is her obvious discomfort in going to the city, where she avoids meeting the gaze of others. During Brynn’s daily activities, we visit the house. Knowing the geography of the place means that we later follow with increased attention the movements of the hostess in her attempts to evade the visitor from elsewhere.
Unfortunately, things start to go wrong shortly after this game of cat and mouse. Brynn goes to get help, and then no, she leaves town… Oh, and then why not go home instead? Halfway through the film, we are treated to an almost identical repeat of the first attack.
Brian Duffield wrote and directed No One Will Save Youand the result is more akin to an episode of the august series The Twilight Zone (The fourth dimension) than a feature film. Obviously, the material was lacking, hence the impression of narrative filler. Just as problematic: we guess from the start the nature of Brynn’s “heavy secret”, the content of which is revealed with theatrical force during the denouement as if it were a great revelation.
And as long as we are betting on not resorting to any dialogue, why not have taken responsibility until the end? Brynn’s only words during a key scene are completely superfluous: Kaitlyn Dever’s look and expression say everything there is to know.
False ambiguity
The film also likes, here and there, to leave ambiguity concerning the mental health of the heroine (is this extraterrestrial invasion real, or the fruit of a psychotic delirium?). Does the indeterminate era, with relatively recent vehicles, but a retro atmosphere in the protagonist, not to mention the absence of a smartphone, constitute an indication that we are in reality “in the head of Brynn”?
At the end of the analysis, too many contradictory elements invalidate this interesting reading. In fact, the film leaves several ideas hanging.
On the other hand, No One Will Save You is a visual success: expressive compositions and unusual shots follow one another. The special effects, which merge the physical and the digital, are also effective (the noises made by the invaders help a lot). However, this is too little. As it stands, the film proves more irritating than exciting.