He Never Left is an interesting horror film because it tries to be both a slasher horror movie and a philosophical drama simultaneously. Most horror movies these days follow the same tired formulae. This film, released amid the clamor of the genre’s most recent offers, transports viewers to the eerie world of Larsen City, a town haunted by both the ghosts of its residents’ pasts and the specter of a masked killer. The film’s narrative focuses on Gabriel, a runaway stuck between guilt and despair and trying to find safety in a motel that serves as both a safe place to stay and a prison.

James Morris, who wrote the script with Michael Ballif and Colin Cunningham, directed He Never Left, which defies the tropes of conventional slasher films. It weaves together the psychological battles of its characters with visceral horror, presenting a Gothic tapestry that elevates the genre beyond shock value.