Alive

Alive is an engrossing catch-your-breath kind of film, taking spine-tingling suspense and stirring it into a mix of psychological thriller and body horror options that were unveiled in 2018.

Directed by Rob Grant and penned by Chuck McCue and Jules Vincent, the story takes place in a renovated, isolated, dilapidated hospital setting, where the plot unfolds with an undulating course of intrigue and apprehension.

Alive opens with two main characters, a man and a woman, played impressively by Thomas Cocquerel and Camille Stopps, bolted on almost bare beds in a crippled hospital ward. Both are unnamed throughout the film - symbolizing their universal representation. Manacled, battered, and riddled with injuries, they have no recollection of how they landed up there or who they are. Their unknown ordeal is balanced with their unflinching determination to find a way out and discover what transpired. But their escape won't be an easy ticket, as their ominous caretaker is a man full of shadowy and unsettling demeanor; an ambiguous character performed by Angus Macfadyen.

The gloom of the premise is festooned with their progressive bonding as they strive to piece together their past while fighting the painful present. Their relationship forms the emotional epicenter of the movie, while their individual developments peel back layers of their forgotten identities, feeding the audience with scraps of information as they themselves discover it. In the horrifying journey of survival and escape, they oscillate between fear, bravery, vulnerability, mistrust and abiding camaraderie, drawing us deeper into their dire circumstances and engaging us with their plunges and predicaments.

The backdrop of a dilapidated hospital provides a chilling ambience to the storyline, intensifying the impending sense of dread and tension. Cinematography, by Charles Hamilton, retains the eerie feeling in each frame - the worn-out walls, the labyrinth corridors, the flickering lights creating a stark contrast amid the shadows, and the nearly-colorless tone of the setting enhances the unnerving and creepy aura.

The director, Rob Grant, has meticulously managed to keep the audience on the edge by progressively revealing the storyline, invoking curiosity while maintaining a firm grip on the suspense. The nuanced approach towards horror eschews typical jump scares or bloodbaths; instead, the atmospheric terror stems from the constant psychological anxiety and a sense of unknown dread, making the characters' fear a tangible emotion for the audience.

Performances by the main leads, Thomas Cocquerel and Camille Stopps, lend credibility to their characters. Their raw vulnerability and subsequent resilience strike a delicate balance that navigate their nuanced journey in the film. Their performances uplift the movie to a heightened emotional space, making the audience root for their survival amidst adversity. In a supporting role, Angus Macfadyen adds intrigue to the storyline with his nuanced portrayal of a cryptic caretaker, spanning from sinister to sympathetic in his actions.

Sound design heavily complements the narrative, subtly enhancing the distressing experiences of the catapulted characters. The absence of a traditional soundtrack and the contrasting heightened noise of small, ordinary sonic details, such as the creaking of a door or the buzz of an overhead bulb, amplify the suspense and discomfort traditionally related to horror/thriller genres.

Underneath its gruesome mask, Alive is a psychological exploration into survival instincts and human relationships that prevail under terrifying circumstances. While it is a breath-holding thriller, it equally provides a philosophical view on existence, life, and identity. How we treat our lives, the memories we value and the lengths we're willing to go to survive. Alive, thus, is not just a horror movie that leaves you shaken but thought-provoking cinema that leaves you stirred.

In conclusion, Alive is an immersive psychological thriller that leverages impressive performances, a unique premise, chilling atmosphere, detailed sound design, and nuanced storytelling to create a compelling cinematic experience. Exploring themes of survival, human relationships under adverse circumstances, and self-discovery, it is a movie that stays with you long after the screen goes dark. Alive is truly a testament to small-scale narrative filmmaking at its finest.