No One Lives (2012): Film Four FrightFest Review

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No One Lives
No One Lives
(18) Running time: 86 minutes
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Reviewed by: Kirsty Wavish

From Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura comes the film No One Lives, the story of a ruthless killer, caught up in a twisted and unusual love affair with his captive. The killer, who is nameless (Luke Evans), checks into a motel with his girlfriend/latest victim, Amber (Lindsay Shaw), and decide to go out for a bite to eat. They come across an unsavoury gang, who are drowning their sorrows after a heist went terribly wrong.  One of the gang members, Flynn (Derek Magyar) who is a bit of a maverick, mistake the killer and his girlfriend for a wealthy couple, looking to relocate with all their worldly possessions with them. He kidnaps the couple and dumps them in a disused petrol station, but little does he know what events await him!! Flynn returns home with the killer’s car and trailer to boast about his steal, only to find that the killer has a captive imprisoned in the boot of his car named Emma (Adelaide Clemens), who has recently been in the news as missing after she managed to flee a bloodbath when the killer attacked her group of friends. The gang quickly find out they are dealing with a mass-murderer, one who will be particularly enraged due to the evenings circumstances!!!

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To say that No One Lives is bloody, is an understatement. The scenes are soaked with the stuff and some of the death scenes are shocking and harrowing, but to the point that when a death is laid before the audience, you feel like punching the air in glee, egging the killer on to continue his blood-shed and torture! The only downside is that the gang are limited in numbers, meaning the number of deaths were quite low, but the film is hugely entertaining and laughs are a plenty.

Evans is simply fantastic and produces a perfect balance between total psycho and comedian, most notably his one liners. He unleashes his revenge on the gang, who are merely play things for him to torture and kill, and obstacles in the way as he strives to get back his surviving captive. Emma and the killer’s relationship is strange and intriguing, particularly when we delve into their back story. We get flashbacks showing us the reasons why she survived the brutal attack on her friends, and the killer’s infatuation with her as a result. Clemens plays the role very well and balances a cold exterior with a similar infatuation with the killer, almost touching on the psychological consequences of being a captive and being drawn to her captor.

Apart from the story of the killer and Emma, there is little substance to the film, and you feel very little for the characters, particularly the targeted gang. No One Lives is a monster of a slasher movie and if you’re in the mood for blood, this films right up your street, but if you want anything more, the film will disappoint. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it and was thoroughly entertained throughout. Evans was the star of the film for me, and will never forget the scene where we manages to get into the gang’s camp by hiding in the body of the gang’s dead henchman! Roars of glee were heard all around in the FrightFest screening!!

NO ONE LIVES is in UK cinemas from 6th September 2013

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

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