If you want proof that IMDb ratings can be horribly wrong look no further than this movie. No One Gets Out Alive is a brooding, creepy, and, above all, scary horror movie featuring strong occult motives. It follows an immigrant woman who ends up staying at a decaying boarding house at the edge of the town. A women-only boarding house that oozes death and depravity. You can expect all the usual things like creaky floors, things moving by themselves, and spine-chilling sounds coming from the vents. Of course, we shouldn’t forget about the ghostly figures with glowing eyes appearing in the background, just feet away from our protagonist.
I mean, ghostly figures with glowing eyes appearing in the background are a must for any self-respecting horror movie. And although I’ve seen countless other horror movies using the same things, I was still quite scared watching this one. The atmosphere was just plain old nasty and foreboding. Like you knew something bad and fucked up is coming. The story develops slowly offering only little bits and pieces of information and pushing you to keep watching to find out what’s really going on. And trust me, once the reveal comes, it will be so worth it.
No One Gets Out Alive is actually based on a novel of the same name by Adam Nevill. This is the second adaptation of his atmospheric occult novels after The Ritual. I simply adore these nifty little horror movies that come out of nowhere and blow me away with their authenticity. Not only do we get all the usual scary stuff but we also get a nice occult twist to seal the deal. Cristina Rodlo who plays the lead character Ambar gave one hell of a performance. I think she’ll become the next Ana de Armas although she looks like a less bitchy Aubrey Plaza.
Things have finally started to look up for Ambar, a hard-working but undocumented immigrant currently living in Cleveland. She’s been struggling both mentally and financially after the death of her mother. However, her cousin promised her a good job and all she has to do now is get a fake ID. While she’s waiting on it, Ambar decides to move into a cheap boarding house for women at the edge of the town. And this decision will change her life forever.
No One Gets Out Alive is definitely a movie worth watching. It features excellent cinematography, a nightmarish atmosphere, and solid production values. Each scene feels important and deliberate. It’s either helping with the atmosphere or it’s pushing the story forward. Additionally, the running time is just 80 minutes making it a movie you can watch any time. Especially since it’s available on Netflix, so if you’re looking for a good horror movie tonight, No One Gets Out Alive is a perfect choice. And while you’re at it you might want to check out Hellhole.
Moving on, the finale was quite memorable and I can already see myself revisiting it in the future. All in all, recommending movies like this is the whole reason why I run Subversive Rabbit. Underrated and almost forgotten, they deserve our attention. I also think that we can expect great things from young Santiago Menghini. He reminds me a bit of young Guillermo del Toro and his debut movie Cronos. And I can say the same thing about Ti West’s The House of The Devil.
Director: Santiago Menghini
Writers: Jon Croker, Fernanda Coppel, Adam Nevill
Cast: Cristina Rodlo, Marc Menchaca, David Figlioli, Moronke Akinola, David Barrera
Fun Facts: The name of the strange wooden sword with spikes on the sides Cristina Rodlo playing Ambar uses is Macuahuitl. Aztecs and Mayans used it in the past as well as other Mesoamerican civilizations.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13056008/
