PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When I was asked to review The Only Ones, I had no clue what to expect. I had only seen the poster for the film so essentially I was going in blind, which I think is for the best as the film totally took me by surprise.
Synopsis
Six friends set out to a secluded house for a relaxing weekend away, when they unwittingly start a snowballing effect of chaos, death and paranoia. As the body count climbs, the survivors don’t know who to trust, or who is next.
The Only Ones was written and directed by Jordan Miller. The film stars Cayla Berejikian (Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor), Christopher Inlow (Late Night at Terrace Lanes), Nancy Anne Ridder (Scream), Emily Classen (Ape Canyon), Matt Burns (The Legend of Crick Foot), Paul Cottman (Where The Scary Things Are), Jim Krut (The Slasher Nurse), Zach Ruchkin, Jeb Aufiero, and Tatiana Nya Ford.
The Only Ones starts out making you think it’s going to be your standard “young people in the woods getting killed” movie. Thankfully, it isn’t, though it has the same basic setup. Where this movie really excels is establishing the characters and their various relationships. When the shit hits the fan, you actually give a shit. My favorite characters were Emily Classen’s Valarie and Tatiana Nya Ford’s Sarah. They are a lesbian couple and we get a few tender moments where they open up to each other about past experiences and we get to see their vulnerable sides. It’s very sweet and it feels very raw and real, like we are looking in on a real relationship.
After the first night there, things take a turn. I don’t want to say too much, but people die and the group isn’t sure who to trust. People turn out to not be who you expected them to be. There are twists, turns, revelations and gruesome murders. The end of the film is an emotional gut punch that left me heartbroken. I can’t say that about many slasher films.
Final Thoughts
The Only Ones is a slasher film filled with fleshed out characters, twists, turns, revelations, gruesome kills and a heartbreaking ending. Highly recommend.
