This is NOT a casual watch, nor is it really a horror film in the traditional sense. You Won't Be Alone is so bizarre, unconventional, and sometimes grotesque that I'm honestly baffled that it got funding. But I'm very glad that it did.
It's technically a witch movie, but it's also kind of an alien movie. Let me explain...
No spoilers here, but the premise follows a young witch in the 19th century who was kept isolated from humanity until adulthood, then experiences what it's like to be human for the first time by taking over the bodies of villagers and living out their lives.
The rest of the film is a soulful meditation that is essentially an alien observing how humans think, feel, and how they treat one another. It gives a very unique perspective on the simple things in life that we often take for granted, both good and bad.
It made me grateful for the full spectrum of human pleasures and pains-happiness and heartbreak.
The weirdness of the witch elements and the story's slow pace will definitely turn a lot of people off. The fact that a good chunk of the film just portrays normal simple lives being lived makes some moments feel rather repetitive. Sometimes I found myself thinking "I get the point, and I like the point, but let's move on now."
Still, this is one of those films that had such ambition that I can't help but admire it-even the small stuff I didn't personally care for.
If you are in a thinking mood, this is a soulful, dark drama that will certainly satisfy.
