One week before I watched Alone I was mildly entertained by Russell Crowe’s work in Unhinged. The Oscar winner’s performance was a wild expression of rage and anger. After that, it was a bit one note. Entertaining but in a similar way to the brief satisfaction of seeing a watermelon smash on concrete. Having more emotional stake in things, might be a reason why I loved John Hyams’ Alone more. It’s a movie that allows the audience to often feel a deeper connection with the lead character. Jules Willcox stars as Jessica, a timid, but strong woman, moving out of New York, and headed somewhere to get away from her past. At first you think this could be another road rage horror, which then twists and turns at every point. The thrills transform from a narrative about escaping an attacker, to survival skills in the woods, and a person’s fight to live. I was impressed with all of it, because Alone is a thrill ride that has you sweating till the very end.
