You Won't Be Alone

2022 [MACEDONIAN]

Action / Drama / Fantasy / Horror

57
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 93% · 136 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 73% · 250 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.4/10 10 13440 13.4K

witch sacrifice shapeshifting witch burning forest mute

Director

Goran Stolevski Photo
Goran Stolevski

Top cast

Noomi Rapace Photo
Noomi Rapace as Bosilka
Anamaria Marinca Photo
Anamaria Marinca as Maria
Alice Englert Photo
Alice Englert as Biliana
Félix Maritaud Photo
Félix Maritaud as Yovan
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 2160p.WEB.x265
1005.1 MB
1036*720
Macedonian 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 7
2.02 GB
1554*1080
Macedonian 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 26
4.88 GB
3104*2156
Macedonian 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 4

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by scaryjase-06161 6 / 10

An odd film

I've never heard of this one - but it's my first Macedonian language film, so I think I can be forgiven for that. As with the last film, I'm not convinced I have the right temperament for a horror film - but things worked out very well last time, so fingers crossed.We follow Nevena who has a very boring childhood - promised to a witch as a new-born (and made mute at the same time), her mother brings her up in a cave until the age of sixteen when the witch reappears, takes the form of her mother and turns her into a witch as well. I mean, we've all been there, right?!?Unfortunately, Old Maid Maria (the original witch) isn't too impressed with Nevena's witching skills - she prefers playing with the animals rather than breaking their necks and eating them raw (apparently that's what real witches do). This results in Maria leaving Nevena to fend for herself with no knowledge of the real world - which goes just about as well as you'd imagine it would. To start with anyway, but as time goes on she gets the hang of things and the film manages to conjure up a surprisingly emotional ending.It's possibly a little too deliberate at times - some of the scenes certainly couldn't be accused of rushing things. For "horror" (it's not really a horror film at all, but it has some horror elements), it's very poetic and beautiful - The Guardian calls it spellbinding, but I can quite imagine that a lot of people would describe it as dull - for me it fell somewhere in between. It was very nice to look at and I was somewhat intrigued as to how it was going to end, but it really could have done with getting there a bit quicker.It's a very atmospheric film with stylish visuals (and some very cool locations) and a sparse, yet effective soundtrack. It portrays a sense of wonder well - lots of things are being seen through Nevena's eyes for the first time and you get the mix of confusion and awe well. Overall, I'd say it's well written and shot (by Goran Stolevski) but maybe some harsher editing wouldn't have gone amiss - although it's not the sort of film that would benefit from being rushed.However, because of that sense of wonder, the actors often don't have an awful lot to do other than gaze into the middle distance - Nevena is played by seven different actors across the film (if you include the baby!) and Sara Klimoska, Noomi Rapace, Carloto Cotta and Alice Englert all do a good job as adult Nevena so it feels harsh not to mention Petra Ciric Leontina Bainovic and Anastasija Karanovich as the other incarnations, even if they have less to do. The only other character we really spend any time with is Old Maid Maria who is played well by Anamaria Marinca, but she's rather disguised under tons of make-up (as a result of a rather unfortunate "burning at the stake" incident).One last thing to talk about is the way that the witches shapeshift because it's really quite something - they take the guts of their intended target and shove them into a cavity which magically opens in their chest. I can assure you that would never have occurred to me, but I guess that just proves I'm not a witch!WIkipedia tells me that it actually counts as an Australian film and was put forward as their nomination for the Best International Feature Film Academy Award. It also tells me it's shot in IMAX aspect ratio (1.44:1) - which feels like an odd choice but directors do odd things and we've had a lot less weird aspect ratios this year than we had last, so I'm considerably more tolerant of it!All in all for me, I think it's an "admire" rather than a "like" (although I did like the ending), but is it a recommendation? Probably not to be honest - it has a lot to recommend it but I'm just not sure who'd really "like" it. But if you're in the mood for some fantasy/horror which gives you plenty of time to ponder the very nature of humanity whilst regaling your eyes with some beautiful visuals, then this is just the film for you and it's available to rent in all the usual locations.
Reviewed by jtindahouse 7 / 10

A little slow but well made and original

Witch movies haven't always been my favourite subject. I find a lot of them too subtle and that they dance around the subject rather than going right at it. That isn't a problem in 'You Won't Be Alone'. The film gives us the viewpoint from their perspective and it is refreshing.The film has some pretty messed up stuff in it. The opening scene really sets the tone for just how grim it is willing to get. It was tough to watch in certain parts but the film was certainly better off for it.It is a little slow and is going to lose some people in that way. It's also not particularly scary horror if that is what you're going into it hoping for. It is a very clean and well made film though with a uniquely interesting and original narrative. 7/10.
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