Film Review: Alone With You (2021)

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ALONE WITH YOU stars Emily Bennett (King of Knives), Emma Myles (“Orange Is the New Black”), Dora Madison (“Friday Night Lights”) and Barbara Crampton (You’re Next). The film was written and directed by Bennett and Justin Brooks in their feature film debut and produced by Andrew Corkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Theo James (Divergent) under their Untapped banner.

SYNOPSIS:

As a young woman painstakingly prepares a romantic homecoming for her girlfriend, their apartment begins to feel more like a tomb when voices, shadows, and hallucinations reveal a truth she has been unwilling to face. 

REVIEW:

Alone with You was directed and written by Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks.

We meet Charlie portrayed by Emily Bennett. Charlie is heading home to her apartment. She’s a make-up artist, and she is waiting for her girlfriend to come back home. Charlie is relaxing, smooth sailing so far.

Charlie takes a bubble bath, drinks a glass of wine, and she looks relaxed, while I sit here nervous. I love the slow feeling of scary movies, that pace where someone slowly walks into a room and you’re not quite sure what is going to be there. Emily Bennett is doing a great job.

The music, the little notes from her girlfriend. Emily and Justin Brooks put a lot of small details into Alone With You. It’s beautifully shot. Charlie calls her girlfriend again; she is keeping track of everything. Charlie is remembering moments with her girlfriend. She gets messages from Thea played by Dora Madison. Speaking of Dora Madison, if you haven’t seen Bliss and VFW, go watch those movies. You’ll thank me later.

It’s weird because Thea is talking shit about Charlie’s girlfriend and Charlie is just not having it. Thea is the best, she is awesomeness. Oh, isolation and COVID. It’s all insanity. I’m watching a movie about strange isolation while the pandemic just carries on.

Charlie gets a video call from her mom portrayed by Barbara Crampton (King Knight, Superhost, Jakob’s Wife, You’re Next, From Beyond). Her mom sort of belittles her, and asks her if she is still doing her “little make-up projects.” There is an intense reaction right away. You’re not quite sure what type of scary this is? It is unknown right away.

This scene is impactful. Barbara Crampton is playing this loving mom and then just goes on this tirade, and Charlie’s nerves start showing. People like to use guilt and torment to hurt people. Charlie is seeing things, and she is locked in her apartment.

In life we are all often trapped with our own thoughts, thoughts that can be negative or positive. Charlie also loses track of time. Is it daytime or night? This is trippy. I have a miniscule idea of what I think is happening. Meanwhile, Charlie keeps hearing things and she calls Simone again.

It’s scary, Charlie has herself in this frazzled bewildered state of mind. It makes you wonder what really happened to Simone? Is she out? Is she gone? Did Charlie kill her? Is Charlie dead? I have so many thoughts. Emma Myles (Orange is the New Black, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) plays Simone.

Generation trauma is something people need to work on. Alone With You is impactful, Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks take us on this deep dive. This world where everything seems happy and beautiful but it’s broken and disturbed. There is always darkness that follows light.

Emily and Justin don’t drop fast clues, there isn’t a fast remedy to figure the film out. It does remind me of, What Lies Beneath (2000). My reasoning is the slowness, the movements and the terror that Michelle Pfeiffer’s character Claire Spencer goes through. Claire is in this Norman Rockwell painting of a world.

The voices, the memories and flashbacks will make sense. I would recommend watching Alone With You.

Available in Theaters on February 4th and On Demand and Digital February 8th!

Make sure to check out Alone With You.

“May Your Nightmares Inspire You.”