Frightfest 2016: ‘Here Alone’ Review

Here Alone review: A perfect three character story that delves deep into the human psyche, the power of relationships and the human drive to survive.

Here Alone review, Kat Hughes, Frightfest 2016.

The resurgence of the zombie film has led to countless movies, Frightfest itself host to a marauding horde this year. Here Alone offers a different vantage point by honing in on the people and the mediocrity in surviving. It can’t all be zombie battles, if you want to survive you have to be smart.

Quiet, gentle and character driven. Not words often associated with a film set during a zombie-like apocalypse and yet that is exactly what Here Alone has to offer. Set during the aftermath of a zombie virus outbreak, the film trails Ann (Lucy Walters), a young women doing her best to survive in the harsh wilderness.

Through flashbacks we learn that she hasn’t always been alone. Once there were three of them, Ann, her husband Jason (Shane West), and their infant daughter. After a strange pandemic started to spread, Jason made the move to relocate his family back to nature. Now alone, Ann uses the lessons that Jason taught her to keep herself going. By day she keeps busy collecting water and scavenging food from the nearby houses, putting herself in harms way each time she does. At night she sleeps in her car. All the time alone. Then she stumbles into Chris (Adam David Thompson) and his teenage step daughter Olivia (Gina Piersanti), and things start to change.

Ann’s spot is the clever place to set camp. Actually she has two camps in case one becomes compromised, again clever. Both areas are close to fresh water and far enough from danger to easily hide, but close enough to old civilisation that she can continue to pick canned goods from the houses surrounding her. The one thing that she hadn’t counted on was other people. As with the phenomena that is The Walking Dead it’s the people of Here Alone that you have to be wary of. Teenage jealousy and desires threatens the harmony of the newly formed family unit.

Here Alone is a thoughtful and reflective study into the human condition. Our drive to survive and our need to connect through human relationships is at the forefront of this film. What are we without each other? And what will we do in order to keep on living? The film seeks to answer these questions and shows just how resilient a human being can be. Ann has truly been through the wars and yet is still able to communicate with fellow people.

The disease of Here Alone starts in a similar fashion to the bubonic plague. The first symptom is a ring of red spots, and along the way the disease ravages the brain and sets the host to cannibalistic attack mode. The creatures themselves are very much a background feature to proceedings, but when they are seen they are suitably scary.

Viewer discretion is advised, Anne’s had quite the life and one development in particular is heart-wrenchingly cruel. Faced with an impossible situation Ann has to decide between her head and her heart. Between what she wants to do and what is the kindest thing to do. What follows is an incredibly sad and powerful scene that highlights both sacrifice and the drive to live.

Beautifully shot and perfectly paced Here Alone is the zombie film for those who want more than just gore and head shots. An emotional journey that focuses in on character relationships and the human psyche. Fans of The Walking Dead and The Last of Us are going to love this one.

Here Alone forms part of this year’s Frightfest programme.