"Die Alone" [2024]

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Lowell Dean’s Die Alone.

Synopsis

In a post-apocalyptic world, a young man who has amnesia must join forces with hardened survivalists during a zombie outbreak to find his girlfriend.

The Good

Joseph: Writer/director Lowell Dean is best known for his horror comedies such as Wolfcop and Dark Match, but with Die Alone he takes a more serious approach, and the result is an intriguing riff on the zombie sub-genre. Douglas Smith as amnesiac Ethan and Carrie-Anne Moss as Mae, a woman who is well armed against intruders of both the human and this film’s version of the living dead, both give fine performances. The well-written, impressively directed, and solidly acted film boasts engaging drama and focuses on the human element of the story while serving up an unsettling take on the virus-created creatures.

Mike: Starting on a pretty nihilistic note, Die Alone starts with a bang and presents a handful of questions that viewers shouldn’t expect immediate answers to. The atmospheric tension that Die Alone creates and the performances by Moss, Smith, and Grillo really shine as they capture the desperation and resiliency needed to survive in difficult circumstances. The beauty and merciless nature of the wilderness are brilliantly captured in the photography, which generates a strong sensation of risk. Dean’s grounded approach to survival methods and the practical consequences provide a depth of realism that distinguishes the movie from usual genre fare.

The Bad

Joseph: Die Alone holds a certain air of mystery . . . until it doesn’t. Once viewers catch on (no spoilers here), it isn’t totally a “bad” thing, though, as Dean continues to heighten the drama, and Moss and Smith keep delivering the acting goods.

Mike: Die Alone, though at first engaging, has a simplicity that may become a little monotonous and repetitious to some viewers. The film can feel a little thin at times without a strong antagonist or more complex examination of the characters' motivations (although what we get IS totally fine). Also hampering things somewhat are a couple of plot points that feel contrived, undermining the film's intended realism.

The Verdict

Joseph: With Die Alone, Dean shows that he has the versatility to deliver a strong dramatic genre film in addition to his more humorous features. Fans of living-dead–survival chillers will want to seek out this admirable work.

Mike: All things considered, Die Alone is a far better than average survival thriller that sports visually arresting surroundings, some gnarly practical effects, and great acting. While Moss and Grillo's veteran presence improves the content, the somewhat shallow storyline and irregular tempo stop it from shining as brightly as it could.