alone movie review in tamil

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A man named Kalidas gets stranded due to the pandemic lock-down when he travels from Coimbatore to Kerala. A man named Kalidas gets stranded due to the pandemic lock-down when he travels from Coimbatore to Kerala. A man named Kalidas gets stranded due to the pandemic lock-down when he travels from Coimbatore to Kerala.

• Shaji Kailas
• Rajesh Jayaraman
• 9 User reviews
• 4 Critic reviews

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Shaji Kailas' son Jagan Kailas debuted as an associate director in the film.
• Soundtracks Life Is A Mystery Lyrics by Mick Garry Additional lyrics by Biby Mathew and Eldhose Alias Sung by Mick Garry

User reviews 9

• Rudra_Pulse
• Mar 7, 2023
• How long is Alone? Powered by Alexa
• January 26, 2023 (India)
• Untitled Mohanlal Film
• Kochi, Kerala, India (apartment)
• Aashirvad Cinemas
• Confident Group
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 2 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

'Alone' movie review: A daring experiment that becomes a tiring experience

The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown continue to be a source of never-ending stories that range from romance to supernatural thrillers. It has also proven to be a fertile setting for novel experiments. Alone is one such attempt—a single-actor film set largely in one location. It’s in stark contrast to the Mohanlal-Shaji Kailas duo’s usual larger-than-life mass entertainers that celebrate the superstar, his mundu swag, and the iconic meesha piri. In Alone, not once does Mohanlal wear a mundu nor does he twirl his moustache, but that doesn’t mean this film is short of gimmicks. In fact, it has a lot...

The narrative begins with Mohanlal’s character Kalidasan reaching an apartment complex in Kochi during the lockdown. After encountering some strange incidents in his flat, he starts unraveling a lot of mysteries. But all of this is before the final twist, which has become a routine in most Mohanlal films of late. However, his uninspired performance worsens things. There is a shade of eccentricity to his character, and it should have been a cakewalk for someone who aced similar roles in films like Ayal Kadha Ezhuthukayanu (1998) and Thalavattom (1986), but all we get to see is a pale shadow of his old self. At times, his mannerisms reminded me of the dismal Alexander the Great (2010), which arguably had one of his weakest performances to date.

Alone also has voice-acting by popular actors like Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Annie, Rachana Narayanankutty, and Nandu among others. Among them, Prithviraj’s Hari Bhai is the best-written character and it is enhanced by the actor’s delightful rendering of the Thironthoram slang, which sounds way better than what he did recently in Kaapa. In an ordinary film without any such experiments, the Kalidasan-Hari Bhai portions would have been thoroughly enjoyable.

Alone is somewhat similar to Jayasurya’s 2021 film Sunny in terms of how they both are single-actor films set during the pandemic. However, what distinguishes Sunny from Alone is the former’s superior technical quality. The film is ruined with tacky visuals and shoddy VFX, which is probably because the film was originally planned as a direct OTT release. The strange camera angles and sound design intended to invoke jump scares and a sense of spookiness hardly create any impact. Rajesh Jayaraman’s script has a supernatural angle to it, but it seems like the makers tried too hard to make it look like one.

Right from the intro sequence Shaji Kailas has employed all his trademark gimmicks—the zigzag camera movements, flashy cuts, and the unnecessarily deafening background score—resulting in a headache-inducing experience. In a couple of scenes in Alone, Mohanlal is seen wearing a T-shirt that screams the word ‘vintage’. But sadly, this film doesn’t even have a glimpse of the good old vintage Mohanlal or Shaji Kailas. To put it bluntly, it’s an experiment gone terribly wrong.

Film: Alone Director: Shaji Kailas Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran (voice), Manju Warrier (voice) Rating: 1.5/5

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp  

Download the TNIE app to stay with us and follow the latest

Related Stories

• THE WEEK TV
• ENTERTAINMENT
• WEB STORIES
• JOBS & CAREER
• Home Home -->
• Review Review -->
• Movies Movies -->

'Alone' review: Mohanlal keeps us entertained in a sluggish one-actor thriller

Rajesh Jayaraman's script struggles to keep the audience hooked

The plot of the Malayalam film Alone is set in 2020 when India witnessed a frightening surge in the number of Covid-19 cases and the protagonist, Kalidas (Mohanlal), a motivational speaker, is the only character seen on screen. He has just relocated to a flat in Kochi from Coimbatore.

Kalidas starts to hear conversations between a mother and a daughter in his head. Soon after, a series of strange occurrences indicate the presence of someone else in the flat. Despite the fact that his friend Yamuna (Manju Warrier) blames it on his excessive drinking, he resolves to pursue the spirits and secrets behind the sounds.

Many of Kalidas’s acquaintances are introduced to the audience through their voices and their elaborate exchanges describe their relationship with Kalidas. These dialogues are useful, but they end up bombarding the viewers with background information that may or may not be pertinent to the main narrative. There are several opportune coincidences that give the necessary momentum for Kalidas's investigation.

Everyone he talks to promptly obeys his directions and accomplishes whatever Kalidas requires of them. All of these people appear to either give him all of the information he requires, no matter how confidential or to perform precisely what he wants them to do, no matter the repercussions.

Though Kalidas would start explaining ideas or philosophies at random, his eccentric demeanour and Mohanlal's entertaining acting alone keep the interest of the audience for the majority of the film due to the slow pace of its storyline. The other characters were merely placed in practical positions to assist Kalidas with something or to inspire him to delve deeper into the mystery.

The film does lag at times when the events divert away from the core of the plot. Attempts to create an eerie or unsettling atmosphere did not add anything substantial to the storyline. Though the whole movie is set inside a flat, the view of the sky and time-lapses of the city come are welcome changes in visual settings.

The background soundtrack created by 4 Music was used to develop tension while occasionally interfering with the actions on screen. Director Shaji Kailas has creatively employed unstable camera shots to vividly communicate the protagonist's emotions of uncertainty or panic.

The transitions from one scene to the next were creative and seamless. Even though Rajesh Jayaraman's script struggled to keep the audience hooked, it was an admirable effort. Voice actors such as Prithviraj, Manju Warrier, Zeenath, Renji Panicker, and others deliver excellent performances and even manage to connect with the audience.

Film: Alone

Director: Shaji Kailas

Onscreen Cast: Mohanlal

Voice cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Renji Panicker, and others

Rating: 3/5 

📣 The Week is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TheWeekmagazine) and stay updated with the latest headlines

Mother’s Day 2024: Facts, history and trivia; everything you need to know

Artist T. V. Santhosh's works unravel the horrors of war

Motherhood on screen: 5 Bollywood movies to watch on Mother's Day

Netflix confirms 'Wednesday Season 2': What we know so far

Editor's pick.

Pawar and Thackeray should introspect about why people left them: Devendra Fadnavis

Are unique names a boon or bane? Isenhower, Loosamma and others open up

Mandeep meets Mandeep: How a techie's act of kindness saved an acute leukaemia patient

Equity surge

*Articles appearing as INFOCUS/THE WEEK FOCUS are marketing initiatives

• Andhra Pradesh
• Lok Sabha Elections 2024
• South Shots
• In The News
• Dakshin Dialogues

• Opinion & Analysis

• Health & Wellness
• Community & Culture

• Home » Movies » Alone Malayalam Movie Review

Alone review: Mohanlal saves this movie with a rather weak script

The project is a different take from director Shaji Kailas who is otherwise known for mass films; it could have been good without gimmicks.

Published:Jan 26, 2023

Alone is a single character film featuring Mohanlal. (Mohanlal/Twitter)

A one-time watch!

Alone (Malayalam)

• Cast: Mohanlal (only character seen on-screen); Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Siddique, Renji Panicker, Nandhu, Mallika Sukumaran, and Zeenath
• Director: Shaji Kailas
• Producer: Aashirvad Cinemas
• Music: 4 Musics
• Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
• Director: Maneesh Sharma
• Producer: Aditya Chopra
• Music: Pritam Chakraborty
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

Mohanlal’s Alone finally is out in the theatres. The movie, made during the Covid-19 pandemic, was meant to have an OTT premiere. But the makers decided to go for a theatrical release, though the director hinted that it may have a lag.

Alone is yet another movie with Mohanlal playing the role of Kalidas, the only character that appears on-screen in the whole film.

He is seen communicating with people over the phone. Their voices can be identified as that of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Siddique, Manju Warrier, Nadu, Suresh Krishna, etc.

Sunny ‘s successor

Before Alone, Jayasurya-starrer Sunny premiered via Amazon Prime in 2021. It also had a single title character Sunny played by Jayasurya.

Now, Alone is also set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 lockdown, on the lines of Sunny .

Alone is an experimental attempt that can be put under the horror genre. After 10 minutes, it gives the audience the impression of being a horror movie.

These assumptions are the only hook for the audience to sit inside the theatre for around two hours.

Kalidas is a motivational speaker who is travelling to Kochi from Coimbatore during the Covid-19 lockdown.

A drunkard, the hallucinations he experiences in his flat form the first half and how he overcomes the situation form the second half.

The highlights

As a motivational speaker, Kalidas spreads a message to his clients which can also be interpreted as a message to the audience.

Hallucinations and how common people must have been affected by this gets a mention in the movie. An investigation of a murder, which is a real case or an unreal one, is the highlight.

Director Shaji Kailas is a master in thrillers and Alone can also be put under this category. He once again roped in Don Max, who earlier collaborated with him for Tiger, Time, and Chinthamani Kola Case , as the editor.

There are many instances for fans to cheer even though the movie has a single actor, thanks to the editor.

The director is on a successful spree after Kaduva and Kaapa, both starring Prithviraj in lead roles, became hits.

But Alone is a different take from the director who is known for mass movies. He joined hands with Mohanlal after Red Chillies (2008). Mohanlal has a similar look in Alone as that of Red Chillies .

#Alone #ShajiKailas @antonypbvr @aashirvadcine pic.twitter.com/hXV7xRJxPK — Mohanlal (@Mohanlal) January 26, 2023

How Mohanlal fared

Shaji Kailas-Mohanlal films have a formula which includes action, songs, and punch-lines. However, Alone is something different considering these factors.

Mohanlal carries this movie. His looks, his charisma, and his energy make Alone watchable.

Otherwise, the script by Rajesh Jayaraman doesn’t offer anything new. The same kind of storyline has been used in various other languages.

Butterfly effect

Mohanlal in Shaji Kailas’ ‘Alone’. (Mohanlal/Twitter)

The movie speaks about the Butterfly Effect, but it doesn’t have much impact on the project.

In the film, Kalidas is seen investigating the murder of two people through his contacts. The movie works in parts since Mohanlal is a superstar.

The script is weak though. But it does justice to the facts and proves that the story is happening during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The background music composed by 4 Musics gives some pace to the movie. It’s a decent, not excellent though.

The cinematography is done by Abhinandam Ramanujan and Pramod K Pillai.

Since most of the movie is shot inside an apartment and its surroundings, these two people didn’t have many challenges to take up.

Alone is a mix of many genres which works in parts, but could have been good without gimmicks. It is a one-time watch!

Tags:  

• Entertainment
• Malayalam cinema
• Movie review

Recommended For You

Mohanlal’s birthday: Remembering ‘Bhramaram’—the masterpiece

May 21, 2024

Happy birthday, Mohanlal—A down-to-earth superstar

EXCLUSIVE: Shooting comedy films is a big challenge, says Malayalam cinematographer Manesh Madhavan

May 20, 2024

Malayalam movie ‘Vadakkan’ to be screened at Cannes Film Festival on 21 May

In a welcome trend, Malayalam cinema harks back to the 80s

May 19, 2024

Latest News

Abrogation of Article 370: SC dismisses pleas for review of December 2023 verdict upholding it

Pune car accident: ‘In Modi’s two Indias, justice is dependent on wealth’ says Rahul Gandhi

Former Karnataka CM Bommai says Congress government will fall due to own contradictions

Kerala High Court quashes Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s nominations to University of Kerala senate

Andhra Pradesh Police launch state-wide search operations to address poll-related violence

Stop maligning Tamils for votes, Stalin tells PM

Modi should quit public life for his Hindu-Muslim rhetoric: Kharge

Karnataka farmer suicide after money lender holds his family

Kumaraswamy’s phone tapping allegations: LoP in Karnataka assembly R Ashoka demands CBI probe

Karnataka asks MEA to cancel Prajwal’s diplomatic passport

‘Darkness Bhagya’ in Karnataka? Hospital denies BJP’s claim that it has plunged into darkness

Wrestlers’ sexual harassment: Delhi court frames charges against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan

If Ambedkar was not there, Nehru would not have allowed reservations: PM

Vehicle owner shells out ₹25 lakh for fancy registration number in Hyderabad

300 trafficked Indians ‘revolt’ against handlers in Cambodia; most of them arrested: Andhra Pradesh Police

Delhi excise scam case: Court reserves order on cognisance of chargesheet against BRS MLC K Kavitha

'Alone' Trailer: Mohanlal and Renji Panicker starrer 'Alone' Official Trailer

'Alone' Trailer: Watch the Official Trailer from Tamil web movie 'Alone' starring Mohanlal and Renji Panicker. 'Alone' web movie is directed by Shaji Kailas. To know more about the 'Alone' trailer watch the video. Check out the latest Tamil trailers, new web movie trailers, trending Tamil web movie trailers, Mohanlal movies and Renji Panicker movies at ETimes - Times of India Entertainment.

Home » Reviews » Malayalam Movie Reviews

Alone Movie Review: How Did Someone Convince Mohanlal To Join This Circus Of A Film Is The Real Mystery

One can only observe that mohanlal is busy discovering the rock bottom as he continues to give his worst with alone.

Star Cast: Mohanlal.

Director: Shaji Kailas.

What’s Good: A crisp runtime that makes one suffer less.

What’s Bad: The idea in itself. The confusion about what to focus on. Mohanlal’s conviction to make this work.

Loo Break: Stay in there and watch some reels maybe.

Watch or Not?: There is no other polite way to say this, but don’t. Never thought I would say this for a Mohanlal movie.

Language: Malayalam (with subtitles)

Available on: disney+ Hotstar.

Runtime: 122 Minutes.

Amidst the pandemic, a man named Kalidas (Mohanlal) with his fancy mask moves into a new apartment in a very posh high-rise building. Soon he begins to observe some supernatural elements around him and he gets on the job to find out what it is. A murder mystery is unraveled leading to one of the most problematic climaxes ever.

Alone Movie Review: Script Analysis

The pandemic and what followed is a classic setup for filmmakers to write and make movies on. Some have even tried their hands and managed to churn out good stories. The most recent half-baked attempt starring Nayanthara was Connect . But if you thought that half-baked attempt and the rock bottom is close enough, let me show you Mohanlal unfortunately exploring the deeper rock bottom with a movie that rarely qualifies as anything but a script like some drunk person wrote all the blurry mixed idea on a piece of paper he found at the bar.

Alone as the name suggests as just one actor acts all the time and God somebody save Mohanlal, please. The movie opens like it is the smartest of them all. A man with too many colourful t-shirts and obsessed with liquor enters a posh society. The logic leaves the building the very minute he enters a room numbered 13A and he is surprised that it is ghosted. It had to be sir! Now there is a pandemic ongoing and one must look at the idea of only keeping Mohanlal in frame and making every character a voice speaking over calls or from behind doors or as ghost in the void. Alone never even tries to bring in some substance because it is so invested in telling a story that is boring and bizarre.

Screenplay written by Rajesh Jayaraman, Alone is the funniest mystery movie you will see because there is a man who is jumping and walking like an animated character bending every system possible talking like a cult leader wearing beach t-shirts. He enjoys when he hears someone break somebody’s bones and says ‘good job’. What is this even? Also, the aforementioned ghost has no say in the entire case only to realise that their existence was questionable extent. The end twist is so done to death that you can literally ignore the climax. But the biggest question is where is the consequence to a man with so big criminal instinct? He drives his Batmobile looking car into a vibrant oblivion like he has fans for doing that. No one can decode what this movie is.

Alone Movie Review: Star Performance

Mohanlal is busy giving us one after the other worst performances and this is the limit now. The actor was definitely forced to do this because there is no other explanation to what he does. Everything about this character looks so forced that he is not believable for even a minute.

Alone Movie Review: Direction, Music

My mind refuses to believe that Mohanlal and Shaji Kailas together have given us Narasimham. How can a pairing so successful go so abysmally wrong?

Add to that a super loud background score and a badly shaky cinematography that is attempting to look like a very edgy aspect. Everybody needs to run away from taking credits in this bowl.

Alone Movie Review: The Last Word

One can only observe that Mohanlal is busy discovering the rock bottom as he continues to give his worst with Alone. You have much better options and this is not one of them. You can skip it.

Alone Trailer

Alone releases on 26 January, 2023.

Share with us your experience of watching Alone.

For more recommendations, read our Kaapa Movie Review here.

Must Read: Dhamaka Movie Review: Ravi Teja Starrer Is Far Away From Logic & Farther From Entertaining

Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Telegram | Google News

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Related articles.

After Four Years Of Its Release, This Mystery Thriller Has Garnered Global Attention On Netflix

Kapil Sharma & Guru Randhawa’s Teams Up For Break Up Anthem ‘Alone’ Former Shares His Excitement: “I Have Been Passionate …”

Vikram Vedha Fame Yogita Bihani On Working With Kapil Sharma In ‘Alone’: “I Feel I Have Unknowingly Manifested This Moment”

Check this out.

Jessica Biel On Why She Almost Quit Hollywood, “We Had A...

Pirates Of The Caribbean: After Johnny Depp’s Exit, Austin Butler To...

When Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock Confessed About His Rivalry With...

After Animal, Bobby Deol To Tap Into His Negative Side Again...

Who Is Matt Prokop? Modern Family Star Sarah Hyland’s Ex-Boyfriend Arrested...

Gypsy Rose Blanchard Mother’s Day Post Sparks Backlash Online; Receives Death...

Don't miss.

Who Is Clifton Williams? All We Know About Steve Buscemi Attack...

The View Star Joy Behar Tells Jennifer Lopez ‘Keep Your Mouth...

Box Office: Suriya’s Kanguva To Suffer In Hindi Due To Kartik...

Gam Gam Ganesha Trailer Review: Anand Devarakonda Promises A Hilarious Ride

Suicide Squad ISEKAI Anime: New Joker Character Trailer Highlights Clown Prince Of Crime

Gullak S4 Trailer Review: Mishra Family Ditches The Nostalgia & Gears Up For The Riskiest Season & Briskiest Transition – Will This Walking On...

Chandu Champion Trailer Review: Kartik Aaryan Grit & Determination Is Impressive In Kabir Khan’s Compelling Sports Drama

• Privacy Policy

Alone Movie Review: A daring experiment that becomes a tiring experience

Rating: ( 1.5 / 5).

The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown continue to be a source of never-ending stories that range from romance to supernatural thrillers. It has also proven to be a fertile setting for novel experiments.  Alone  is one such attempt—a single-actor film set largely in one location. It's in stark contrast to the Mohanlal-Shaji Kailas duo's usual larger-than-life mass entertainers that celebrate the superstar, his  mundu  swag, and the iconic  meesha piri . In Alone, not once does Mohanlal wear a mundu nor does he twirl his moustache, but that doesn't mean this film is short of gimmicks. In fact, it has a lot...

Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier

Director: Shaji Kailas

Rating: 1.5/5

The narrative begins with Mohanlal's character Kalidasan reaching an apartment complex in Kochi during the lockdown. After encountering some strange incidents in his flat, he starts unraveling a lot of mysteries. But all of this is before the final twist, which has become a routine in most Mohanlal films of late. However, his uninspired performance worsens things. There is a shade of eccentricity to his character, and it should have been a cakewalk for someone who aced similar roles in films like  Ayal Kadha Ezhuthukayanu  (1998) and  Thala vattom  (1986), but all we get to see is a pale shadow of his old self. At times, his mannerisms reminded me of the dismal  Alexander the Great  (2010), which arguably had one of his weakest performances to date.

Alone  also has voice-acting by popular actors like Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Annie, Rachana Narayanankutty, and Nandu among others. Among them, Prithviraj's Hari Bhai is the best-written character and it is enhanced by the actor's delightful rendering of the  Thironthoram  slang, which sounds way better than what he did recently in  Kaapa . In an ordinary film without any such experiments, the Kalidasan-Hari Bhai portions would have been thoroughly enjoyable.

Alone  is somewhat similar to Jayasurya's 2021 film  Sunny  in terms of how they both are single-actor films set during the pandemic. However, what distinguishes  Sunny  from  Alone  is the former's superior technical quality. The Shaji Kailas directorial is ruined with tacky visuals and shoddy VFX, which is probably because the film was originally planned as a direct OTT release. The strange camera angles and sound design that are intended to invoke jump scares and a sense of spookiness hardly create any impact. Rajesh Jayaraman's script has a supernatural angle to it, but it seems like the makers tried too hard to make it look like one. Right from the intro sequence Shaji Kailas has employed all his trademark gimmicks—the zigzag camera movements, flashy cuts, and the unnecessarily deafening background score—resulting in a headache-inducing experience.

In a couple of scenes in  Alone , Mohanlal is seen wearing a T-shirt that screams the word 'vintage'. But sadly, this film doesn't even have a glimpse of the good old vintage Mohanlal or Shaji Kailas. To put it bluntly, it's an experiment gone terribly wrong.

Related Stories

• India Today
• Business Today
• Reader’s Digest
• Harper's Bazaar
• Brides Today
• Cosmopolitan
• Aaj Tak Campus
• India Today Hindi

Alone Movie Review: Mohanlal’s one-actor film is a tedious watch

Director shaji kailas’ alone, starring mammootty, is a one-actor film that tries to be a thriller with a twist. but, it neither offers thrills nor the so-called twists have an impact on you, writes our review..

Listen to Story

• Mohanlal's Alone is directed by Shaji Kailas.
• The film graced the screens on January 26.
• Alone is a one-actor film.

Release Date: 26 Jan, 2023

Imagine a film with just Mohanlal in it. Known as the Complete Actor, the Malayalam superstar has redefined himself over the years. It’s an interesting prospect to have just Mohanlal in a film. The supporting actors appear only as voices. In fact, Alone reminds you of Parthiepan’s Othatha Seruppu, a film with just one actor. Oththa Seruppu received critical acclaim. But, will Alone turn out to be successful?

Kalidas (Mohanlal) is a motivational speaker, who moves into a new apartment in Kochi. Since he moved into the apartment during the Covid-19 lockdown, everything is dealt with in calls. Soon after settling into the house, he hears the voices of two people – a mother and her daughter (Sreedevi and Anu). Das has a strong feeling that there is a reason why the spirits are in the house. He soon digs up to know why he is hearing the voices.

Director Shaji Kailas’s Alone aims to be a thriller with horror elements. However, the film hardly has anything going to keep you engrossed. The film feels excruciatingly long as there are not enough elements in the screenplay. Once you start hearing the voices, you automatically know that these are spirits. By now, one can guess that the two people would have been wronged. Half the time, we see Mohanlal’s Das stating the obvious. After a point, you just stare at the screen wondering when this ordeal would come to an end.

Apart from the wafer-thin storyline, it is the bizarre camera angles that almost give you a headache. You get a crazy close-up of Mohanlal’s eye and a random shot of a pen's nib flying off. You see artificial skies and many unnecessary close-up and slo-mo shots with jarring music.

It is in the pre-climax of Alone there are some twists in the story. However, when the big reveal happens, you end up scratching your head rather than being surprised. Mohanlal tried his best to salvage this drowning story, but there was only so much he could do to uplift it. In the film, he’s drowning in alcohol, mouthing pop philosophies and romancing Yamuna (Manju Warrier). His camaraderie with Hari Bhai (Prithviraj), a retired goon, is an interesting bond that could have been explored better.

However, Alone ends up as an uninteresting affair with almost no meat.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

The first 30 minutes or so of John Hyams ’ “Alone” are promising. Jessica ( Jules Willcox ) packs up her U-Haul trailer and moves out of Portland, Oregon for parts unknown. Whatever parts they are, they’re deep in the wilderness. Jessica is running from Something Traumatic, as befitting all protagonists in this kind of movie. Her father is concerned that she’s left a day earlier than expected so that she could avoid any kind of verbal skirmish with her mother. Her mother calls her repeatedly, and when Jessica finally answers, Mom’s whiny nagging explains why a confrontation was unwanted. No matter. We never find out where Jessica was going, because her plans get derailed.

You see, there’s a serial killer on the loose. He’s a goofy looking man with glasses and a push broom for a mustache. He reminded me of an older version of the Simpsons’ Ned Flanders, one who has done a lot of things that require repentance. You would think the filmmakers went for this rather Everyman look to distract victims from his villainy, but the guy known as Man in the credits ( Marc Menchaca ) never once acts anything other than creepy. In his first in-person interaction with Jessica, he asks where she’s going, tries to engage her in conversations unbecoming of strangers and then points out that he was driving the Jeep Grand Cherokee that almost got her killed when she tried to pass him a few miles back. I hope Jeep got paid well for this particular product placement. I hope U-Haul did too, because when Jessica’s trailer gets a flat, Man shows up to beat her senseless, drug, and kidnap her. Jessica wakes up in an empty basement room conveniently fitted with a lovely beam of sunlight streaming through the barred up windows.

So far so good for a thriller. There’s even a halfway decent moment of suspense where Man torments Jessica about the devastating event that sent her packing. When Jessica pleads for her life, Man asks “do you think you’re the first person who’s done this?” It’s the last time Man will seem scary, which is a shame because the movie’s barely one-third over. We’re spared any torture or sexual assault, thank goodness, and Jessica easily escapes from Man. This occurs after Jessica overhears Man talking to Wife and Daughter on his cell phone. Screenwriter Mattias Olsson really wants to lean into the idea that Man is living a secret life, but honestly, why should I be impressed by this? “Dark, murderous secrets kept from families” is covered in Serial Killer 101 on the first day of class.

Any genre goodwill generated by Hyams’ assured direction and pacing is lost when the film introduces another character, Robert ( Anthony Heald ). Robert is stupid, as all characters like him are in this type of picture. Before he shows up, Jessica suffers a gruesome foot injury while running from Man, so I expected “Alone” to become a battle of wills between the two out in the big, bad wilderness. Eventually, it does, which makes Robert not only completely extraneous, but also living proof that a good guy with a gun doesn’t stop anything.

The dialogue Man is given to speak is atrocious. When the film catches him monologuing while trying to flush Jessica out of the darkness, his attempts at psychological torture sound amateurish and paltry. It’s to Wilcox’s credit that she so ably plays mental distress that she almost saves the scene. But when Man says, in the dullest voice possible, that “I’m gonna get you, you delicious f--king b---h!” my suspension of belief dissolved completely. And that’s before we get to the deus ex machina helicopter and the climactic phone call which, believe it or not, isn’t to the police.

“Alone” gives us little reason to care if our hero makes it out alive, but I have to give credit where it’s due: Jessica isn’t written as some damsel in distress. Though she does make a questionable choice or two, she’s more crafty and engaged than a standard victim. There’s a scene where she temporarily gets the upper hand with a tire iron, and when she crawls away, she has the good sense to take that tire iron with her. I laughed, because I didn’t think she would do that. It showed a true survival instinct. There’s also a scene where a potential savior, when faced with believing Jessica or Man, sides with the killer simply because Man convinces him Jessica is hysterical. I might be completely wrong in my reading of the scene as a statement on the patriarchy, but I appreciated the sting of the moment nonetheless. It gave me something to think about as the movie limped to its conclusion.

Odie Henderson

Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

Now playing

Brian Tallerico

Disappear Completely

Jeanne du Barry

Sheila o'malley.

Kaiya Shunyata

Stress Positions

Peter sobczynski.

Dusk for a Hitman

Robert daniels, film credits.

Alone (2020)

Jules Willcox as Jessica

Anthony Heald as Robert

Jonathan Rosenthal as Eric

Marc Menchaca as Man

• Mattias Olsson

Cinematographer

• Federico Verardi
• Nima Fakhrara

Latest blog posts

Cannes 2024: The Apprentice, The Shrouds

Cannes 2024: Blue Sun Palace, Julie Keeps Quiet, Simon of the Mountain

Always a Rebel: Alessandro Nivola on The Big Cigar

Cannes 2024: The Weirdo Films of Cannes

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Babes Link to Babes

New TV Tonight

• Evil: Season 4
• Trying: Season 4
• Tires: Season 1
• Fairly OddParents: A New Wish: Season 1
• Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.: Season 1
• Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza: Season 1
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 1
• Mulligan: Season 2
• The 1% Club: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Outer Range: Season 2
• Bodkin: Season 1
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Fallout: Season 1
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• The 8 Show: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Bridgerton: Season 3 Link to Bridgerton: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Mad Max Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Mad Max In Order: How to Watch the Movies Chronologically

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Weekend Box Office Results: John Krasinski’s IF Rises to the Top

Hugh Jackman Knew “Deep in His Gut” That He Wanted to Play Wolverine Again

• Trending on RT
• Furiosa First Reviews
• Most Anticipated 2025 Movies
• Cannes Film Festival Preview
• TV Premiere Dates

Where to Watch

Watch Alone with a subscription on Hulu, Netflix, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Alone 's minimalistic approach makes this heightened thriller a gripping and suspenseful experience.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Jules Willcox

Marc Menchaca

Anthony Heald

Jonathan Rosenthal

911 Operator

More Like This

Related movie news.

Home Alone 1 (Tamil Dubbed)

An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.

Genre: Comedy ,  Family ,  Tamil Dubbed

Director: Chris Columbus

Actors: Daniel Stern , Joe Pesci , Macaulay Culkin

Country: USA

Duration: 103 min

Quality: HD

Release: 1990

Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavanigalum (Tamil)

Tamil, Malar and Esakki are three friends who are planning to kidnap Isabella, Tamizh’s girlfriend, who is being forced by her rich father to marry against her wishes. Chakkaravarthy enters the scene as main villain.

Unstoppable (Tamil Dubbed)

Childhood buddies Kohinoor Kalyan and Jilani Ramdas are easy-going guys. One day, the two friends lose money on cricket betting. In the process of regaining the lost money, they unintentionally obtain traps in the villains.

Finding Dory (Tamil Dubbed)

Friendly but forgetful blue tang Dory begins a search for her long-lost parents and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.

Singaravelan (Tamil)

Singaravelan “Velan”, on his birthday, tames a wild bull by just talking to him. He seems to share a special bond with animals as he works in his farm filled with animals. Later that day, his mother, Parvathy, calls him and decides to tell him the truth a

King (Tamil Dubbed)

What would you do if a lion cub appeared in your room? Siblings Inés and Alex, have to face this dilemma when they find King, a trafficked cub who escapes from an airport and finds refuge in their home.

Settai (Tamil)

Three struggling room-mates unknowingly become potential prey of a ruthless gangster.

Poove Unakkaga (Tamil)

When a man realizes that the Hindu woman he loves is in love with a Christian man, he decides to sacrifice his love and unite their families so as to make the love story a success.

The Smurfs (Tamil Dubbed)

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world into New York City.

Gremlins (Tamil Dubbed)

A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

Six Days Seven Nights (Tamil Dubbed)

Robin Monroe, a New York magazine editor, and the gruff pilot Quinn Harris must put aside their mutual dislike if they are to survive after crash landing on a deserted South Seas island.

Pitch Perfect (Tamil Dubbed)

Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school’s all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.

Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavaanikalum (Tamil)

The film opens in heaven with Brahma and Naradar, in conversation with Lord Shiva about the importance of time and fate. Lord Shiva has a computer base of all the people in the world. He picks Tamizh (Arulnidhi) from his database and explains in detail th

Please help us to describe the issue so we can fix it asap.

Login access is disabled

Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Mani Ratnam and More Laud Ace Indian DoP Santosh Sivan Ahead of Cannes Honor (EXCLUSIVE)

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

• Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Mani Ratnam and More Laud Ace Indian DoP Santosh Sivan Ahead of Cannes Honor (EXCLUSIVE) 7 hours ago
• Mouly Surya, Garin Nugroho Projects Among First Recipients of Annual Indonesian Film Grant – Cannes 10 hours ago
• Locarno Winner Woo Ming Jin Wraps Telepathic Twins Film ‘The Fox King’ (EXCLUSIVE) 16 hours ago

Film industry luminaries have paid fulsome homage to Indian DoP Santosh Sivan , this year’s recipient of the annual Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award conferred during the Cannes Film Festival .

Hosted by professional cinema lens manufacturer Angénieux at Cannes, the award pays tribute to a renowned cinematographer and recognizes an emerging talent. Estonian-U.S cinematographer Kadri Koop will receive the Angénieux special encouragement honor.

Popular on Variety

Sivan recalls using Angénieux lenses on one of his first films, “Raakh” (1989), starring Aamir Khan , and bought a couple of them subsequently. He’s been using Angénieux lenses ever since. He says that the award means a lot to him as previous recipients include DoPs he admires, including Zsigmond and Deakins.

The DoP pays homage to the rich visual culture of the southern Indian state of Kerala, where he hails from and whose ethos he is steeped in. “This award is a recognition that maybe the visual language that you speak is understood and interesting to people all over the world,” Sivan told Variety .

On the philosophy that drives his cinematography, Sivan said, “For me, light and shade is the melody and composition and movement of camera is the rhythm. If I find that these two things are there in a shot, then I’m most excited.”

“Film is something that is like, what you see is what you get. Whereas in digital, you’re always looking at the monitor to see things. So both have their advantages and disadvantages,” Sivan said. “But now with film processing becoming more rare, and film stock itself becoming very difficult to get in India, film has slowly started fading.”

Sivan’s advise for newcomers is, “You should be very observant. And most importantly, you should not be afraid to experiment. You should really not try to play safe and imitate others, you should try and do things that come naturally to you. And try to be on the edge – to be edgy is fun, to experiment is fun.”

Encomiums are pouring in for Sivan. Shah Rukh Khan, who addresses the DoP fondly as Santa, like most of his friends in the industry, said, “He taught me that genius is not thought out, it is felt. Our belief has to be stronger than a desire just to succeed commercially. Most importantly, he taught us all that the greatest pleasure in filmmaking is going above and beyond all the obstacles that you face while telling a story, making a film, and all that with a big smile. And Santa’s work as a DoP is extremely unique and original, because it is seeped in his experiences and learnings of the Indian culture. So it’s dark and light at the same time. It’s mysterious and welcoming. Just like Santa himself. His resourcefulness on sets is shocking. His energy is infectious. His speed is flash. And his madness is genius. So Santa, thank you so much for making us and India so proud as you receive this award.”

Aamir Khan also praised Sivan’s ‘rasping pace’ on set and his people skills, adding, “His understanding of the film is not just that of a DoP, he understands the film from the point of view of other filmmakers.”

Frequent collaborator Mani Ratnam added, “With him, there’s no situation which is very difficult to light… Because from where he has come, he adapts everything that is around him, uses nature very well, uses all the available elements of light and is able to give you a result, gives you contrast, gives a unique Santosh Sivan stamp on it.”

Actor Vidya Balan, who starred in “Urumi,” said, “There was one thing I didn’t have to worry about. It’s about how I was looking because every frame of his is like a painting. It’s like poetry.”

Filmmaker Karan Johar said, “He is a force of nature. I still remember that he shot for 10 days for my debut feature film ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,’ a schedule that was planned for about 15 to 20 days was wrapped in half that time. He is truly just the most fantastic visualizer. His imagination, his incredible framing, his understanding of film, and his ability to just transfer that supreme energy on to celluloid is just his and his alone.”

Mira Nair, for whose “AIDS Jaago” (2008) anthology film project Sivan made a short, added, “What I love especially about Santosh is the sense of childlike wonder in his eye and in his heart.”

More From Our Brands

Amazon finds: from apple to bose, these are the earbud brands worth buying online, craig ellwood’s smith house is up for grabs in l.a. at $3.5 million, angel reese joins dc power soccer ownership group, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, diarra from detroit review:  bet+ caper is a suspenseful, irreverent triumph, verify it's you, please log in.