In the chilling tale, a severely injured man (Cocquerel) and woman (Stopps) awaken in an abandoned sanatorium with no memory of who they are or what has happened. A sadistic caretaker (Macfadyen) discourages their questions and doles out punishments whenever they refuse to cooperate or try to escape. When they finally make their escape to freedom, they discover the answers to who they are – revealing even greater horror.
Alive (2019)
1h 31min | Horror, Thriller | 18 September 2020 (USA) | NR but for mature audience due to graphic violence, gore and terror.
ALIVE., starring Thomas Cocquerel (“The 100”), Camille Stopps (“Reign”) and Angus Macfadyen (“Strange Angel”) in U.S. theaters and on demand September 18
Commentary: We all have a fear similar to waking up somewhere with no idea who we are or how we got there. Or even worse being held somewhere against our will with little or no means of escaping. ALIVE uses those fears along with some stomach turning visuals to create a decent horror film. It is a simplistic tale with minimal cast. All three actors sell their pain and agony to the point that you squirm more than usual while watching. If it falters anywhere it is in the sadistic doctor’s ability to avoid death regardless of what his captors do to him as they try and escape. Michael Meyers has nothing on this dude when it comes to bouncing back strike after strike.
I would have appreciated more back story into the how and why this twisted surgeon is who he is. We get glimpses and some rather creepy looks into his living conditions but most is left up for us to fill in. Not a plot hole exactly but it would give the audience a motivation other than he is just nuts. As far as his two captors, the man and woman are written nicely. You think you might know who they are and their reason for being trapped there together. They don’t remember anything and each has only brief mental pictures that flash from time to time. These pictures are meant to be clues but it turns out they just add to the mystery.
The graphic violence is strong in this one and certainly not for the squeamish. There were several times I had to flinch and turn away. But even then I was assaulted by the sounds of bones breaking and flesh tearing. Some people love that stuff and if you do then there is much to savor here. The Man (Angus Macfadyen) – this is his actual name in the credits – is not only delusional but also highly sadistic. He tries to convince the male (Thomas Cocquerel) and female (Camille Stopps) patient – again how they are credited – that he is saving them and giving them a safe new home. He doesn’t understand their reluctance to stay so he inflicts more pain to convince them. It is this cat and mouse journey that is tense to watch.
Hats off to the set designers and make up artists too. I love creepy, abandoned asylums and this one had much to look at with props galore. Each room had a different texture and setup which helped with the thin dialogue. Often the story will feel monotonous as many conversations tend to repeat themselves. The ending is worth the journey though and there is a payoff for those who stick around. Again, it is a well done horror film for those who enjoy guts over glory. Fans of the macabre will find it suitable for viewing. I give it a B- for the genre. For the right viewer of course.
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