PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I Think We’re Alone Now is a visual story told mostly through the eye of the camera. It follows Del (Peter Dinklage: Game of Thrones) in a post-apocalyptic future where everybody is dead. There is no electricity and the dead litter the streets. Del lives in a small town and is content to be by himself. He has created a little piece of solitude amongst the dead. Cleaning, gathering supplies and burying the dead are what his life consists of now. However, Del soon finds out he is not alone. Grace (Elle Fanning: The Neon Demon) comes crashing into his life, literally.
And this where the majority of the film stays. Two complete opposite characters are thrust together as I Think We’re Alone Now takes its time exploring the relationship that forms between them as the film moves along.
I Think We’re Alone Now was directed by Reed Morano (The Handmaid’s Tale TV series), a cinematographer with 51 credits to her name on IMDb alone. Her eye for storytelling is very evident by the lack of dialogue and visual choices made in this film. It wasn’t until 20 minutes in that the first line of dialogue was spoken.
Morano has an eye for detail that can be both mesmerizing and uneasy at the same time. She captures something special within the lens that keeps the viewer off balance. Despite it’s post-apocalyptic nature, this is not a horror film. It’s a drama set in a desolate world, a character study on what two people would do if this actually happened. That being said, you are on edge for the majority of the film, even though nothing is essentially happening.
A huge part of the tension in I Think We’re Alone Now is due to the often loud score, which plays a huge part in driving the story forward. It’s without a doubt the third character in the film. The choice of what music to use, or even when to use it, is of course, down to the editing department, which is suburb in this and is perfectly timed to the tone of the film.
Peter Dinklage is a massive name now, thanks largely to Game of Thrones, but he has gone on record a number of times speaking of his love for indie films, which is why I presume he also chose to be a producer on this one. This film proves that indie can sometimes get a bad wrap. There is this stigma that Indie films get sometimes if you have a small budget and small cast and crew your project won’t be as good as the ones with bigger wallets. And yes, sometimes that can be the case. Thankfully, it is not with I Think We’re Alone Now.
Mr. Dinklage’s talent for understated emotion is proven in scenes where there isn’t anything to say, or where his character interacts with Grace with merely facial expressions or movements. The relationship and story are built through visual expression, subtleties in acting, music and the eye of the lens. This all works out to produce a film that has something to say and keep you guessing, but only if you keep watching until the end. The film is not afraid to take its time on characters living their everyday lives, and some might get turned off by this fact, possibly finding the movie to be a bit boring. But, if you stay until the end, unanswered questions will be answered and your time will be rewarded.
Without a doubt, the best thing about this movie is the fact that it doesn’t treat viewers like they’re stupid. So many post-apocalyptic movies will have a run of dialogue or narration to explain and set up the rules of the world that has been created which, in my opinion, is just lazy. See just about every Resident Evil live action movie… urgh!
I Think We’re Alone Now forces the viewer to figure out for themselves what has happened, what is going to happen and what might happen. This mechanic is used so well that it keeps you guessing right until the end of the film.
If you come across this movie, stick it out… it’s worth it. Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning are excellent on screen together. The score, cinematography and direction are well executed. I Think We’re Alone Now is a thought provoking drama that puts you on edge and then leaves you slack-jawed at the end. It will be available on November 19 via Digital Download!
