No One Lives Blu-ray Review

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura,

Starring: Luke Evans, Laura Ramsey, Lee Tergesen, Derek Magyar, Adelaide Clemens, America Olivo, Beau Knapp, Lindsey Shaw, Brodus Clay, Gary Grubbs

Running Time: 86 Minutes

Certificate: 18

NO ONE LIVES is the kind of film where the less you know, the better. Even explaining the plot will lead to deliberations that may uncover some of the excellent plot twists on show. It’s also a shame that the Blu-ray menu also reveals some of the most important and shocking visuals the film has to offer. With that in mind, the following review will try its best not to reveal any significant plot twists, but NO ONE LIVES is certainly a film to enjoy blind.

It starts off as many clichéd slasher films have done in the past, with a woman running for her life through a forrest. Kitamura shoots the scene with all the frenetic quality and uncompromising speed needed for a disorientating introduction. As the woman becomes trapped, she soon scratches her name on a tree, proving herself to be more than just a blonde bimbo victim. Meanwhile, Driver (Evans) and Betty (Ramsey) are driving through the deserted back roads on their way to a new life. Again, Kitamura offers up some clichés such as a stop at a motel (is it possible Hitchcock tarnished an entire industry?). If that wasn’t enough, we are also introduced to a bunch of thieves who rob houses of their entire contents while the owners are away. This is a film where connecting the dots becomes fun and never tedious as Kitamura pushes them all together rather quickly and then allows all hell break loose.

It’s obvious from the outset that this isn’t going to turn into your average slasher/gore/revenge flick, for every familiar archetype we’re presented with, we’re also shown something that rests uneasy with our sensibilities. It’s obvious Driver and Betty are being set-up as your average couple in danger, but then why does Driver feel so off? The ambiguous dialogue and scar kissing is just enough to make you realise you are not getting the entire picture. Once the film explodes, it’s a relentlessly enjoyable display of blood and gore which is always fun, thanks to the way the characters are written, but also hard to tolerate at times. NO ONE LIVES is as absolute as its title, offering inventive death sequences and sudden twists that will keep even hardened viewers on edge.

Despite a relentless 86 minutes of grotesque and creative fun, the film does falter here and there. The dialogue from most of the characters tries too hard to be ‘cool’ or different. It becomes distracting as it isn’t bad or cheesy enough to be funny, but just has you wondering what the hell they meant. A few of the characters also lack a single interesting characteristic. Flynn (Magyar) is just the biggest kind of cinematic jerk, and although it becomes obvious why the writers chose to go this way, it makes it very hard to tolerate him as a character, and you wonder how anyone else could tolerate such a person. This is in strict contrast to other characters, who may be cookie cutter interpretations for the majority of the film, but are given unique moments of humanity, such as when a particularly tough character cries at an unexpected moment.

Fortunately, for the kind of film it is, NO ONE LIVES is a grand example of how to do the gore and violence genre proud. Evans gives a powerful performance, but never forgets the kind of film he is starring in. He adds just the right of pathos and personality to a role that could have been very one note. Forever twisty and turny, it also ties up certain facets of the plot quickly to avoid a convoluted mess. The less you know the better it will be, but you have to be into your gruesomeness from the outset.

NO ONE LIVES is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 23rd September.