Anyone who knows me well could tell you that Horror is my favorite genre of film. There are many movies that I love, but You Won’t Be Alone has managed to find a special place in my heart. It’s both uniquely tragic and heartwarming in a way that I don’t think I’ve seen before or since. So today let me tell you why I love this film

The story starts with Nevena as a baby, when her mother makes the simple mistake of turning around for about two seconds, only to find when she turns back that a witch named Maria has entered her home. Nevena’s mother begs for her daughter’s life telling the witch that a baby would be of no use to her and promises to hand her over when she turns Sixteen

Despite having been hidden from the world, Maria finds Nevena and comes back to claim her prize Sixteen years later as promised. She takes the girl out of the cave and into a world she’s never known or been apart of. Maria quickly grows tired of Nevena’s childlike wonder and naivety leaving her to fend for herself

Now alone in 19th Century Macedonia and having been turned into a witch by Maria, Nevena must figure out how the world works and learn to fit in before anyone discovers her secret

The character writing in this movie is phenomenal. Every character contributes to the story in a meaningful and lasting way. Nevena’s character arc has significant depth and leaves you feeling truly satisfied with the way she develops. The cinematography captures the landscape beautifully and is used to evoke the same sense of wonder in us that we see Nevena showcase throughout the film

This is a deeply personal story. It’s about community, humanity, tragedy and loss. It talks about the human condition, not from the viewpoint of those who have already found and know their place in it all, but from the perspective of someone who has never belonged anywhere.

If you love horror or character driven stories with something to say you definitely need to watch this

Every character in this story has a purpose, but none of them feel like they exist only to fulfill that purpose. This is mostly due to the phenomenal writing but it’s also because of the acting. Sara Klimoska stands out for her performance as Nevena. The way she portrays Nevena’s overt childlike behavior contrasts with her more subtle contemplative nature, giving us a character with many layers to explore. Also special shoutout to Noomi Rapace, Alice Englert and Carloto Cotta.

Maria is equally complex. She’s cruel and abrasive, but the tragedy underpinning her tempestuous nature makes you feel bad for her. Despite the fact that she’s shown to be an awful person she’s far from the only one. She’s a product of her circumstances, which doesn’t excuse her behavior but instead points out the structures of violence and cruelty that created her.

Anamaria Marinca’s performance as Maria showcase’s the character’s ugly nature as the witch fueled by her tragic past, But Nevena shows us there’s a better way forward and ultimately releases Maria from her pain and starts moving forward to a better future

The story itself is quite intimate. The focus throughout the film is on Nevena, it rarely deviates from her narrative only doing so to flesh out other characters like Maria. The pace is slow, with an emphasis on the drama. There isn’t a plot per se but rather a story built on character decisions

The film benefits greatly from this kind of storytelling. It doesn’t feel intense and there’s not a lot of action to speak of. Because of this when something major does happen it tends to have more weight and the fallout from those moments have more consequences.

Character deaths are treated with weight and emphasis. Because of Nevena’s unique circumstances, they’re tragic and transformative, giving her the freedom to experience the world in a new way while also acknowledging the gruesome reality of having to live in such a way.

The film was shot in Serbia and showcases the beautiful landscape there. When the focus is on the characters the camera can often be shown utilizing closeups to capture the expressions of the actors. The characters themselves don’t talk a ton throughout the film, Sara Klimoska does however provide us with a voiceover throughout

They utilize the sort of shaky handheld camera shots that I normally wouldn’t like, but here they contrast it with the contemplative moments causing you to appreciate the stillness more than you otherwise might. Those brief instances of respite are only periodic, this allows you and the characters to process those more chaotic moments.

The location itself is truly beautiful and adds to the overall atmosphere of the film. This along with some very good costuming brings to life this time period in a way that feels and looks real and it allows you to appreciate the world of the characters that much more.

This is a fantastic film. It was obviously created with a lot of care and a deep love of storytelling. The characters are rich and very well developed. It’s refreshing to see someone approach film making with a desire to create something unique and beautiful. Which is exactly what the team who worked on this achieved

I’m going to give the movie four cats, three of them love you and the other one wants to steal your baby

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!!