The Underrated 2020 Psychological Thriller Getting A Second Life On Netflix
An underrated psychological thriller that flew under everyone's radar in 2020 is rising up the charts on Netflix. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many smaller releases didn't receive much love in theaters. One such film was John Hyams' thriller "Alone," which debuted in September 2020 on digital storefronts. At the same time, it received a minimal theatrical release on some 150+ screens stateside. Now, the serial killer flick has become one of the most popular films on Netflix USA, finally getting the second chance it deserves. As of March 18, 2024, "Alone" is the fifth most-watched cinematic offering on Netflix, according to FlixPatrol.
When "Alone" was first released, it emerged as a critical hit, receiving a whopping 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Writing for the Austin Chronicle, reviewer Richard Whittaker praised Hyam's direction, describing the film as a "straight-ahead, old-school, slasher-versus-final-girl dynamic from moment one." Audiences on Rotten Tomatoes were notably more mixed, giving it a 53% viewer score. However, Cinephiles on the film-centric social media site Letterboxd were a bit more forgiving, with the average score being 3 out of 5 stars. "'Alone' is an extremely effective cat-and-mouse thriller and a taut exercise in nail biting suspense & tension, stripped down to it's core with economic storytelling," wrote user Nakul in their 3-and-a-half-star review.
"Alone" is in good company on the streaming giant. It's the latest psychological thriller to get a second life on Netflix, joining Mark Wahlberg's 1996 film, "Fear," which has also found new success on the streaming giant.
What is Alone about?
"Alone" is a lean, mean, stripped-back psychological thriller that tells the story of what happens to Jessica (Jules Willcox) when she's kidnapped by a devious killer (Marc Menchaca). Jessica ultimately escapes and finds herself navigating through dense wilderness, hoping to evade the man in pursuit. Far from flashy, critics and audiences alike have praised director John Hyams' realistic and minimalistic approach to the narrative. "Alone" comes in at an easily watchable 98 minutes, making it the perfect thriller to dive into late at night. The Netflix juggernaut is a remake of the 2011 Swedish film "Gone," which was co-directed and written by Mattias Olsson. He returned as the scriptwriter for "Alone," adding a layer of authenticity to the acclaimed remake.
The psychological thriller features a limited cast, which lends to the film's heavy sense of dread, especially in the moments when Jessica is on the run. With so much of the film resting on the performance from Willcox, whose previous credits include "The Big Lebowski"-esque crime comedy "Under the Silver Lake," it was no doubt a strenuous experience for the star. While speaking with The Movie Waffler, Willcox revealed that she broke her foot early into shooting. "It was actually the first couple days of shooting," she recalled. "It came up like, do we keep going or do we stop? And John was really amazing, he really let it be my decision whether or not we keep going," Willcox shared.
If "Alone" is too disturbing for some viewers, there are some other underappreciated gems on Netflix that might be more to their taste.