Life on the farm aint easy, but it’s a hell of a lot harder when you’ve got flying saucers in your backyard! 2023’s newest sci-fi horror flick No One Will Save You, written, directed, and produced by Brian Duffield (Spontaneous), serves up a gripping story set in a quiet town facing a cosmic threat, all with nearly no dialog.
Right out of the gate, this movie stands out with its unique approach. It tosses a mere five words of dialogue into its 93-minute runtime, making it a fascinating experiment in visual storytelling. In a world of endless chatter, this film challenges itself to do more with less.
Leading the charge is Kaitlyn Dever as the relentlessly resourceful and un-abductable Brynn. a character that could give classic ’80s Final Girls one helluva high-five. Dever’s facial expressions and body language paint the picture of Brynn’s journey, from her regrets about a tragic past to her stubborn resolve in the face of an alien invasion. Brynn’s got a lust for life that not even an advanced alien race can squash, and Dever’s performance is pure fist-pumping gold.
“Dever’s performance is a winner, the aliens are top-notch, and the suspense keeps you hooked.”
The aliens in question are the classic “Greys” you’ve seen in damn near every UFO story – long limbs, odd heads, and those eerie eyes that could give you the heebie-jeebies. These fellas roll in with the traditional flying saucers, but this movie spices things up. They’re telekinetic, they have creepy little toes, and there’s even a couple jumbo-sized ones for kicks. They are as terrifying as they are intriguing, and they do not come in peace.
One fun twist in this invasion is how the aliens like to play a game of musical chairs with human bodies. Overnight, Brynn’s town becomes a place she can’t trust anymore, like a creepy Invasion of the Body Snatchers remix. And let’s not forget the cherry on top – those bright blue tractor beams babyyyy.
While No One Will Save You screams “big screen,” it’s found it’s home on streaming platforms similar to last year’s Prey, directed by Dan Trachtenberg. I would love nothing more than to be able to see an out-matched heroine fist-fighting an alien monster at my local drive-in but that doesn’t stop it from being a visual treat for anyone at home obsessed with that retro sci-fi alien look (i.e. Me)
“…thrilling, nerve-racking, and full of killer action set pieces.“
The engine of this movie is a mix of sci-fi thrills and alien invasion chills, with Brynn’s emotional journey at the forefront. In just five words of dialogue, it says more than most films do with lengthy speeches. It’s like an episode of The Twilight Zone with a heart, or a spooky tale from The Outer Limits with an emotionally resonant finale. Plus, it’s a high-stakes survival story where a determined woman faces off against a space invader army. It’s thrilling, nerve-racking, and full of great fish-out-of-water action set pieces.
No One Will Save You is a triumph in the sci-fi horror genre. It’s all about doing more with less, and it works like a charm. Kaitlyn Dever’s performance is a winner, the aliens are top-notch, and the suspense keeps you hooked. As the town’s eerie transformation unfolds, you’ll be cheering for this minimalist masterpiece, eagerly waiting to see how it all pans out. If you always secretly wanted that creepy abduction scene in Close Encounter of The Third Kind to last an hour and a half, this UFO-tastic action/adventure/sci-fi/horror mash-up is exactly your cup of ET.
Brian Duffield’s No One Will Save You is streaming now on Hulu in the USA, and internationally on Disney + Star. Let us know what you thought of this action-packed Alien Invasion thriller over on Twitter, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, and the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord 🛸
