No One Gets Out Alive

No One Gets Out Alive: A ramshackle old home, turned into a boarding house is one of the main stars of this film. It's corridors and dark rooms contain creaks, cries and noises, suggestions that something strange is going on. We know from the prologue that the residence is connected to an archaeological expedition to Meso-America and artifacts from the mission are stored there. Ambar (Cristina Rodlo) is an immigrant, hiding her illegal status, exploited in a sweatshop, trying to buy papers. She moves into the boarding house and encounters ghosts. A tale of terror, exploitation and human sacrifice. Some good ghostly apparitions together with poltergeist effects. This is also a story of a struggle for survival in the physical and spiritual senses, both inside and without the house. Very much influenced by Meso-American mythology. Directed by Santiago Menghini, screenplay by Jon Croker and Fernanda Coppel, based on the 2014 novel by Adam Nevill. On Netflix. 7/10.

Competent thriller/horror with folk horror overtones. Not groundbreaking in any way but nevertheless some very unique and interesting ideas. Great acting and sensational cinematography. The narrative kept the origins of the box murky which added to the mystery and suspense. The "house" was wonderfully imagined and contributed to the ambiance. A few traditional jump scares but they didn't detract from the film. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A lot of new stuff on Netflix is pretty pathetic. I love horror so figured I'd have a look. The main character has a good back story and stuff that happens along the way makes this more than a slasher film. It creates some real compassion for her. The last scenes are impressive. I tend not to listen to reviewers who have 'read the book' because they don't get that the language of film is different to that of literature (pretty much what Peter Jackson said of LOTR and look at the success of that). Horror is like comedy; it's subjective. Have a look, you might enjoy it.

I had not even heard about this 2021 horror mystery titled "No One Gets Out Alive" prior to sitting down to watch it on Netflix. But I must admit that the synopsis for the movie sounded interesting, and so did the title of the movie. And with it being a new horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I had to sit down to watch. I am a horror fan after all.

And I will say that writers Jon Croker and Fernanda Coppel actually managed to put together an entertaining storyline, especially so since it never really dawned on me what was going on throughout the course of the movie. Actually, even now that the movie ended, I wasn't clear on why or what was really going on. So that was a good thing, I suppose. But at the same time it left me a bit dumbfounded as I felt no proper explanation was given throughout the course of the entire movie.

The atmosphere that permeated the movie was good, so director Santiago Menghini definitely did a good job in bringing the story to life on the screen. And the props were good, just as the sets were good, and those things definitely added a very dynamic and atmospheric layer to the movie.

As for the acting performances in the movie, well they had some pretty good actors and actresses, despite the fact that the cast list was a bit small. I wasn't familair with the people on the cast list, but the actors and actresses were doing good jobs in bringing their characters to life on the screen.

The creature design in the movie was good, though I haven't the slightest of clues as to what it was supposed to be or represent.

"No One Gets Out Alive" is watchable and entertaining for what it turned out to be. I just wished, personally, that the storyline would have been more fulfilling in terms of letting the audience in on what was actually transpiring throughout the course of the movie.

I am rating "No One Gets Out Alive" a five out of ten stars. Watchable and entertaining for sure, but the movie just didn't come off as being particularly impressive or memorable.

Ambar is a young Mexican woman living in Cleveland; because she has no documentation she can't get a decent job or find anywhere to live for very long. After being forced to move she finds an advert for cheap accommodation; it is a rather rundown building and Red, the manager, is a bit creepy but with little else to choose from she moves in. She is almost immediately disturbed by strange sounds and nightmares. It isn't long before she is in real danger.

I didn't know anything about this film, or the book it is based on, before going onto Netflix looking for a sub-ninety minute film to kill some time. The premise sounding interesting so I decided to give it a go. The film might not be a classic but it is solid enough. The building, along with the creepy sounds, are nicely disturbing. The film has something to say about the difficulties faced by undocumented migrants that doesn't get in the way of the story or the scares. I admit to being a little disappointed when we learn just what is in the basement; the human villains were far more disturbing than what is down there. The cast is solid; most obviously Cristina Rodlo who impresses as Ambar. Overall a decent little horror film; perhaps not a must see but still fun for fans of the genre.